I Want to Believe in Someone
by trusuprise
Summary: Two stubborn best friends, one past life, and a decision about the future. Is Tokyo ready for Hino Rei and Aino Minako to come to terms with each other and settle their differences once and for all? ReiMinako
1. Chapter 1

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 1: Dark Side of the Moon  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

"_Mars! Retreat!" The blonde warrior collapsed to her knees, clutching her head in pain. _

_The senshi of fire hesitated. _

"_That's an order, Mars!" It was the last thing she barked before falling face first into the dust of the dark side of the moon._

"_Venus!"_

Venus' name was on Rei's lips.

With damp, dark hair framing the porcelain curves of her face, the young woman found herself sitting bolt upright on her futon, clutching her pillow to her chest.

Covered in a cold sweat, she inhaled a shaky, uncertain breath as several raw emotions flooded her. Hesitation, urgency, and duty mingled within the confines of her mind, but it was fear that threatened to overpower her, a fear unlike any she had ever known.

But the details of the dream that had caused it evaded her. The remnants of the vision were murky at best, and she couldn't fathom what had frightened her so terribly. As a senshi, Rei had fought many horrifying enemies, had prevented dire futures from coming to pass, and had even faced her own death.

Yet all those emotions paled in comparison to the fear that gripped her heart.

Slowly, her fingers loosened their hold on the pillow held before her and finally, her breathing returned to normal. A practical woman by nature, Rei eventually laid back down. A random nightmare, she was sure its traces would fade once she settled back into the calming atmosphere of her modest miko's room in the shrine high in the mountains of Kyoto.

Time passed, however, and the miko could not find sleep. The shadows of the night slowly shifted with the blue-silver light of the setting moon. Even the soft sound of a cold, late fall breeze rustling through the bare canopy of the towering maples did little to ease the lingering anxiety she felt. Pulling her covers to her chin to ward off the chill, she turned to her side. Her mind's eye granted her a view of the world outside her room; a koi pond was surrounded by a small rock garden, a hedge of boxwood meandered tranquilly along an age old footpath between the shrine buildings, a bamboo container caught water flowing from a well, overflowed, emptied, and then filled once more. The landscape in her head had been carefully planned and staged to create harmony, but still, her mind could not find peace.

'_Was that really Venus I dreamt of?'_ Rei wondered. _'And if it was, then why do I feel so uneasy?'_ Granted, the miko had never felt particularly comfortable thinking about the leader of the senshi, though it was an act she found herself doing often enough…

The miko reined her wandering mind away from uncertain territory. There was currently another priority to think of, though unfortunately, it still included the damnable Aino Minako.

Wearing her uneasiness like a skin that she couldn't shed, Rei's instincts finally overrode her initial decision to let the barely remembered dream fade into forgetfulness, and swiftly, she rose from her bedding and dressed in her miko attire. Never one to sit idly when a challenge was presented, she marched out of her living quarters, hugging her arms closely to her as her padded feet quietly criss-crossed the covered walkways towards the meditation room. The silver light of the moon lit her way and her warm breath made its presence known on the cold air.

Shutting the thin, sliding door behind her, the faint embers that had been left from the day's use in the firebox cast an ethereal glow in the small room. Rei set about her prayers and then began the ritual of starting the fire. With a practiced ease, she set the flames roaring; sparkling and crackling with a life all their own. Finally, she stepped back, bowed before the altar, clapped her hands twice, and knelt down before the sacred flame.

It was in this position before the sacred fire that the miko felt most comfortable, most in control of her self and her surroundings, but now, even this position did not ease the fear she felt. With an unmatched determination, she concentrated on that fear, stared it in the eye and tried to pin it down, to define it and to conquer it.

But the fear proved to be a worthy adversary, even for the shrine maiden's advanced skills that she had come to this shrine far in the mountains to hone. It did not want to be caught or examined under Rei's critical eye. It dodged her advances, hid in the darker recesses of her mind, and slipped out from underneath her thumb. All of this made Rei track it harder, until finally, she sensed that she was getting closer.

The familiar aura of the fireroom and the sweet, musty aroma of the burning wood suddenly shifted, and abruptly, her nostrils were filled with the biting stench of a sulfurous atmosphere. In a panicked rush, Rei gasped and choked on a mouthful of the stinging air before forcing herself to regulate her breathing to short, shallow breaths, but never once did her concentration or determination waver.

Next, the amber glow behind her tightly closed eyelids changed, revealing an alien landscape of towering grey cliffs that stood like jagged teeth set against a black sky. A heavy mist closed in around her, shrouding her in a murky haze. A violent wind howled relentlessly, buffeting frigidly against her body, whipping her dark, waist length hair and her short, red skirt behind her.

Here, Rei understood, she was Sailor Mars.

Her senses went on full alert as the sounds of a struggle reached her ears. No more than fifty feet from her position, an eerie golden glow caught her eye. It seemed alive, snaking out and wrapping mercilessly around an ominous dark form that fell to the ground heavily, sending clouds of dust flying across the surface of the barren terrain. Mars' eyes narrowed as a feminine figure that held the other end of the glowing weapon then leaped to engage the creature in hand to hand combat.

The signs of the struggle caused Mars' heart to skip a beat. Despite the darkness and the mist, despite her lack of knowledge of her surroundings, she ran towards a hauntingly familiar voice that seemed all too desperate to end her battle.

A dangerous feeling of déjà vu washed over Mars in a torrent and a chill ran down her back as recognition and understanding finally set in.

"Venus…"

Her voice was a mere whisper, but somehow, her commander heard it. The golden light provided by Venus' Love Me Chain was just enough to show Mars the extent of the seriousness of her wounds, and even the hardened Martian warrior found herself shocked at the damage her leader had taken.

Venus looked at her subordinate with a pleading expression, one eye wrenched shut in pain. "Mars! Retreat!" Her voice broke as she doubled over and collapsed to her knees, her hands clutching at her head, though it had seemed as though her head was one of the few uninjured areas of her body.

From the shadows of the cliffs, more youma crept onto the battleground, convening towards Venus. The senshi of fire, confused and fear-ridden, hesitated. Should she join the fray or follow her commander's will?

"That's an order, Mars!" Venus barked violently before the blonde warrior's caramel eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell face first into the dust of the dark side of the moon.

The fear that Mars had been harboring rammed into her like a tangible force. As the youma charged Venus' prone body, she noted only belatedly that the sudden illumination that lit the battlefield in tongues of reds, oranges and sparks of bright white-blue light were born from herself as the flames of Mars consumed her.

The panic within her reached its breaking point and Mars' distressed voice broke as it crashed against the surrounding rock walls. "Venus!"

Bloodlust enveloped the raven haired warrior as she charged the youma, drawing them away from her leader. The first of the monsters that came within range was met with a mere Burning Mandala, and she knew instantly, as the monster shriveled up and died in the flames of her fury, that it wasn't that Venus had met her match in her attackers, but that something else had waylaid her _first_. In a blind and reckless fury, Mars dispatched the remaining six misshapen creatures.

Wasting no time, she turned to locate her leader. Breathing heavily, despite the sting of the sulfur laced atmosphere and the minor cuts and bruises she'd received from the skirmish, she dashed back to collect Venus.

Only… though she was still where she had last seen her, her unusually prone form turned away from Mars, her face down in the dust, Venus hadn't gotten up… and she _wasn't moving_.

Mars fell to her knees on the blood covered ground. Shaky hands reached out to touch her leader...

And suddenly, before she could make contact, Mars was forcibly pushed back, violently slammed into a rocky outcrop behind her. The force of the impact had reduced her back to her civilian persona, and with the absence of her senshi strength, the pain and fear Rei felt was amplified tenfold.

When the dust settled and she'd regained her breath and opened her eyes, she was met with herself.

Standing between herself and Venus' fallen body, Sailor Mars stood to her full, proud height, her strict posture stiff and unyielding. Her expression was dangerously blank. Her dark brown eyes were cold, yet tinged with red. It could have been the biting winds, but to Rei, it looked more like she'd been crying.

"You should not be here." She barked, and Rei, confused, flinched at the intense pain that laced the voice of the mirror image of alter ego.

Rei's concern for Venus overrode the confusing appearance of Sailor Mars. She stepped to the side to try to see her, but as if she had commanded it, the mists had closed in behind the senshi of fire, creating an impenetrable barrier. "But, Venus… is she going to be alright? I have to know-"

Sailor Mars took a step forward. Her hands balled into fists and her words came out short and clipped. "You must leave this place now. It's for your own good. You should not have seen as much as you have."

"But-"

Sailor Mars' brows met. She almost snarled. "Leave! Now!"

The winds howled and the mists that lingered behind the warrior rushed towards Rei, enveloping her in frigid blackness-

With a shock, Rei opened her eyes and found herself back in the fire room. The flames before her flared briefly, reaching outwards as if to singe her, and upwards, almost lapping at the ceiling of the small room, before dying back down to its normal size.

Besides the quiet crackle of the burning wood, the only sound in the room was the miko's labored breathing. Her body shook with exertion. A fine sweat covered her skin and her legs had fallen asleep. She uncurled her tightly balled fists. Her fingernails had broken the skin of her palms.

Her eyes widened at the small drops of blood on her hands and her body shuddered at the remembered fragments of the terrible image the fire had shown her.

"Venus…" She whispered.

Only, as she found herself searching for the details of what she'd seen mere seconds ago, she asked herself why her leader came to mind. Unlike dreams, the images that the sacred fire showed her weren't supposed to fade.

But wasn't that exactly what was happening?

For as hard as Rei tried to trace the loose ends of the fading threads that were the vision, they slipped out from under her mental fingers, evading her, until finally, all she could remember for certain was that the fire had shown her that _something_ had happened to Venus, something that had frightened her terribly, and that herself, as Sailor Mars, had prevented her from understanding what had happened next…

and whatever _had_ happened next, it was something she _wasn't_ supposed to see.

The pained expression on Sailor Mars' face as the warrior had forced her out of her own vision stuck in Rei's mind. Why? Why had Sailor Mars forced her away?

More confused and frustrated than she'd been when she'd first woken up from the initial nightmare, Rei rose. Unseeing, unfeeling, her instincts guided her through her familiar surroundings as her tired body unsteadily made its way back to her room. Barely managing to slide the door shut behind her, she fell to her knees in front of her dresser and began rummaging through it.

At length, she pulled out a small, pink cell phone that heralded the days of her youth. Her thumb caressed the plastic shape and brief memories of her active duty as a senshi danced at the edge of her consciousness. She longed to delve into them, to reassure herself that she had no worries, that everything was as it should be.

"_Venus!"_

An echo of her own voice in her ear, her slim frame shook as a disconnected wave of fear washed over her. Things were never so simple when it came to Aino Minako, was it?

She flipped the Teletia S open, and contemplated calling her leader. Her finger hovered over a button she could find by heart. But then… what would she say to her? Even though she and Minako had become friends again Usagi had reset the world and they had all been reunited – a friendship that proved to be even closer than it had been during their senshi days, even though they maintained contact while the popular idol was touring the world, Rei was afraid.

She checked the clock. It was three in the morning. Though they'd spoken at even stranger hours, considering the time difference between them, she knew she'd be interrupting Minako's busy schedule. More than that, with the memories of her dream and her vision continuing to fade from her memory, though Rei couldn't deny that just talking to the annoyingly frustrating woman would at least make her _feel_ better, what more could she tell Minako than that she'd had a dream that something bad had happened to her?

'_But was it a dream?'_ Rei asked herself, still staring at the phone in her hands. _'Or was it a premonition? A threat of something to come?'_ Her finger lighted softly on the number one key, Minako's speed dial, barely touching it. _'If it is a threat, Minako should be alerted.'_

The pink piece of plastic slipped through her fingers, landing softly on the straw mat at her knees. Unheeding, Rei looked up, catching her reflection in the mirror.

Instead of her own troubled frown that she expected to see, the blank expression of the Sailor Mars of her vision glared back at her.

"_You should not have seen as much as you have."_

A chill ran down Rei's spine as she remembered Sailor Mars' determination to keep her from discovering what lay hidden behind the mists.

'_No. It's not a premonition of the future.'_ Rei realized with a sudden understanding. _'It's a memory of the past…'_

Her shaky hand reached out to the ghostly image of Sailor Mars.

'_The past is coming back to me.'_

o o o

Authors Notes:

This fic takes place in the PGSM universe, and is set after the events of the Special Act. Though you don't have to have prior knowledge of the PGSM universe to read along, for those of you who haven't seen it, what are you waiting for?

The title of this fic, I Want to Believe in Someone, was inspired by Kitagawa Keiko's (Rei's) PGSM image song, Sakura Fubuki:  
_Kamisama nante inai, (God doesn't exist,)  
Dakedo dareka shinjitai. (But I want to believe in someone.)  
_Those two lines really struck me. And I think we all know who we'd like to believe that Rei is singing about when she says _She_ wants to believe in someone. So, pardon the dorky title, but you're stuck with it.

o

Chapter 2 Preview:

_"Now, into the dressing room with you." Minako giggled melodiously, the caramel highlighted hair that framed her face falling back behind a shoulder as she pulled both Reiko and the garment into the row of dressing rooms._

_The flimsy stall door snapped shut with a click and the slightly taller of the two women hissed as she realized her companion had locked herself into the small space with her. "Minako, what are you-"_

_Her words were silenced by the other's lips and Reiko purred into Minako's mouth as the decievingly strong body of her leader pushed her back into the mirror. _

_"Minako…"_


	2. Chapter 2

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 2: Invisible Wall  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

_The bustle of the bazaar on the western side of the moon palace threatened to steal their conversation, but the two girls were standing close enough, perhaps closer than a simple friendship dictated, to hear one another. _

"_Venus, I am _not_ wearing that." The raven haired woman spat, her arms crossed indignantly. She did her best to ignore the scant piece of material that her partner considered a dress where it was displayed in the window of the shop across the street._

"_What did I tell you about calling me that when we're not on duty, Reiko?" Her companion questioned her with a mischievous smile that danced on her lips. _

_Reiko sighed. "Minako…" Her voice didn't match its previous venom, and so she lost the argument. The two made their way across the busy street, bypassing food vendors and jewelry sellers hawking their wares, and dodging interstellar tourists and residents alike. The slightly smaller of the two women steered her friend into the shop._

"_Now, into the dressing room with you." Minako giggled melodiously, the caramel highlighted hair that framed her face falling back behind a shoulder as she pulled both Reiko and the garment into the row of dressing rooms._

_The flimsy stall door snapped shut with a click and the slightly taller of the two women hissed as she realized her companion had locked herself into the small space with her. "Minako, what are you-"_

_Her words were silenced by the other's lips and Reiko purred into Minako's mouth as the decievingly strong body of her leader pushed her back into the mirror. _

"_Minako…"_

"Minako…"

The idol frowned. That high pitched, nasally voice didn't sound like the Reiko of her memory at all.

"Mi-na-ko!"

The singer's dark eyes blinked open in surprise, her fingernails digging into the leather of the car's plush back seat. Instead of finding herself in the warm arms of her lover of the past, she stared into the annoyed face of her manager, Saitou Sugao. From her handbag, Minako's plush cat, Artemis, gave his charge a 'you got yourself into this' expression with a dramatic roll of his plastic eyes.

"Mou, Minako-chan," Sugao whined, fanning himself nervously with a folded over piece of paper. One leg crossed over the other of his designer purple suit, and then back again as he sucked his teeth noisily. "What are you doing, daydreaming at a time like this?"

Minako smiled at her eccentric manager. He may be a little… odd, but they'd been working together for the past six years. He was almost like an older brother to the lonely pop star. "I'm sorry, shacho." She said, mastering her expression to one of undivided attention for the matter at hand. "Where were we?"

"Only discussing the details of _the_ biggest, _the_ best, _the_ soon to be most sold out encore finale _ever_!" He wailed, beaming. "And don't forget the impact tickets sales will have to your charity division."

Minako nodded. In fact, what had started as a pet project, a charity for brain cancer research she'd begun only months after jumping back into her career after getting a second chance at this life from that very illness, had taken a life all its own. In some ways, it was more precious to her than her very career as a pop star. But Minako didn't have an opportunity to dwell on that matter as her manager charged forward.

"So, let's talk details." Sugao opened one of the many folders on the seat beside him and began leafing through papers detailing set design, lighting effects, and costume changes. Only Artemis realized, from his vantage point at Minako's feet, that despite the young woman's frequent nods of affirmation, and though the pop star was definitely thinking about the concert, she was most certainly _not_ paying attention to her manager…

Minako was sure that her return to Japan after an extended European tour for her record breaking last album would create a fan frenzy back in her home country, and if all had gone well, (and knowing Saitou's control of the media where her career was concerned, then it would) then her surprise return and encore finale was sure to be a hit with her fans.

A smirk teased the corner of Minako's lips. She could think of one fan in particular who would be ecstatic to hear the news. None other than Tsukino Usagi, her number one fan. The idol could imagine the stars in her friend's eyes and subsequent bear hug she'd receive when she handed her and the others the tickets she'd already planned to set aside for them.

But would they _all_ come? Minako sighed quietly, her eyes trailing to Britain's skyline as the car raced back to her apartment.

There was no doubting Usagi would be there; though Mamoru, already her husband of a year, would likely decline the offer, eager to get the chance to study for his post graduate finals without the distraction that was Usagi. Makoto was also sure to come. Though she and Motoki had finally gotten their floral business off the ground shortly after their engagement, between Usagi's insistence and Motoki's selflessness, Makoto would definitely pull herself away from her work. Ami, who'd finished school abroad, where Minako had visited their genius friend every time she had a concert in England, was now starting her residency back home at Juuban hospital, but even Ami was sure to pry herself away if she was able.

'_But, more importantly, would _she_ come?'_ Minako asked herself.

The she is question was Rei, who was never such a certainty as the others, even though contrary to popular belief, the two had kept close contact over the years. Though, considering Rei's miko lifestyle, their correspondences had been mostly via snail mail and the occasional phone call, they had also made a habit of seeing each other whenever Minako was actually in town, whether for concerts or that rarity that was a break or a vacation.

Though she nodded along with her manager's one-sided conversation, her fingers trailed along the familiar plastic outline of her Teletia S where it hid in the deep pocket of her warm, winter coat. With a soft sigh on her lips, Minako allowed herself to wonder what Rei might be doing. A quick, discreet check of her watch and a mental time zone check confirmed that it was late evening in Kyoto. Maybe Rei was just finishing her last check of the shrine grounds. Or maybe she was tutoring her newest apprentice. Minako titled her head as she tried to recall the name of the young girl and then nodded slightly as she recalled Rei mentioning a Yuuka-san. Perhaps… a smile touched Minako's lips as her imagination got the best of her. Perhaps Rei was taking a bath…

Sugao frowned disapprovingly. "What's so funny, Minako? You're leering like an old pervert."

The young idol coughed, forcing down the blush that threatened to color her cheeks. "Shacho!" She pinned him with a deadly glare and then recomposed herself. "Continue."

The president of Saitou Talent Agency and Minako's right hand man continued without skipping a beat and his protégé did the same by reclaiming her own train of thought; Rei. There was no doubt that she and Rei had become friends again since Usagi had restored the world, the best of friends, even. Sure, there was still a strong competitive streak between them that sometimes bordered on childishness, but it was an endearing quality of their relationship.

A ghost of a smile touched Minako's lips as she remembered the throwing of the bouquet at Usagi's wedding. Heaven forbid they both realize they wanted the same thing! They'd acted like two petulant children just by making eye contact with each other, and that was barely a year ago.

But Minako would have liked to think that a real bond was forming between herself and Rei now. She fought a full fledged grin as she remembered Makoto's engagement party, only five months prior, when her manager had tried to pull her away from the party for some work related emergency or another and Rei had literally marched the poor guy out the door. If it had been because the miko wanted Minako for herself, or for some other reason, Minako didn't know, though she would have liked to believe it were the former. There had been so many similar instances over the years, but when it came right down to it, Rei was as guarded and difficult to read as Minako herself could be.

And still, despite the evolving friendship that they'd managed to forge, there was so much left undone, so much left unsaid from the events of five years past. Minako knew well that the questions and answers, words and gestures that lingered from their reawakening as senshi may never be answered. Even having the status of being Rei's best friend didn't allow for discussion into either of the pasts they'd shared, be it from their days as senshi this life, or the one they'd shared in different ways on the moon, but still, Minako held hope.

She hadn't been blind in those months before her illness had claimed her life. She'd thought she'd seen, even felt _something_ between herself and the fire senshi back then, something they'd never gotten the chance to explore, something that had been impossible to reclaim once Usagi had set the world right.

A troubled frown pulled at Minako's lips. Even back then, when they were at their closest, it was like there had been an invisible wall between them – something that almost physically kept them from getting closer, even though she was pretty sure she could _feel_ Rei wanting the same thing she wanted. It was a barrier she wanted to break with her feelings for Rei; with tender kisses and gentle caresses…

And she was getting carried away with _that_ train of thought.

So what was stopping her from just taking what she wanted? It would be simple, if only Minako could be more like Rei. After all, that was always one thing that Minako had envied the miko.

When Rei wanted something, Rei took it. When Rei believed in something, Rei stood up for it. Minako remembered when that fiery determination, protectiveness, and assertiveness had focused on her when she had posed as the Princess, despite her terminal illness. Her knight in shining armor had saved her from Nephrite's clutches in the nick of time. It had been only one of many examples of when Rei had felt in her heart that something or someone was worth fighting for, and she had fought for it. She had fought for _her_. And in that moment, Minako had fallen for Hino Rei a second time.

And that train of thought brought another memory to the forefront of her mind, and Minako remembered a time in their past lives when Mars Reiko had first shown her this trait of hers. That, despite the feelings of animosity Minako knew Mars had harbored over the leadership role Minako had been granted, though it had pained Reiko to do so, the Martian warrior had accepted what was right and had stood up for it…

_Visibility was close to zero. A thick mist clung tightly to the ground and the terrain underfoot was craggy and treacherous. The oxygen was almost too thin for her to force into her lungs, even with her slowly measured breaths that were suddenly too loud in her ears. She wore her exhaustion like a shroud and favored her left leg where an injury left a gruesome red smear across her thigh. _

_Mars' voice came out as a harsh whisper in the cold silence, "Mercury, are you here?"_

"_I'm here." The blue haired senshi stepped through the mists, trying to master a wavering expression that bordered on uncertainty. Mars frowned at the shaky swagger of exhaustion that Mercury couldn't manage to hide._

_What was meant to have been a short drill of evasion and capture had stretched into a three hour long exercise of survival. A horn blared from someplace distant and Mars and Mercury both jumped at the sound that signaled that another fifteen minute mark had passed. Once again, their mechanized opponents would become more difficult to defeat until their droid leader was captured and destroyed._

_And it was Mars' responsibility to find that droid._

"_Jupiter, is that you?" She had meant to reassure Mercury and herself by commanding a more confident tone, but failed miserably. _

_The tallest of the girls emerged from the concealing mists and nodded to her comrades. Mars noted that she held her right arm gingerly to her stomach but though she would not acknowledge any pain, the glazed look in her eyes was as telling as any cry of discomfort from the tough Jovian._

_The guilt that stabbed at Rei was as painful as any of the physical injuries she, herself, harbored. 'Damn it Venus…'_

_Angry that the Venusian princess had claimed leadership of the senshi, Mars had intended to prove herself in this exercise, but her plan was backfiring dangerously. Why had she picked _this_ exercise to challenge their self proclaimed leader? Self-doubt continued to chip away at her. Would the result have been any different under another drill, or was she really meant to be only second in command?_

_Venus… why did her heart seem to skip a beat? Was her anger at the other girl that great? And just where _was_ she, anyway?_

"_Venus?" Mars finally called out. Her eyes widened wildly as though it might improve visibility in the mist. She took a hesitating step forward, searching for her rival and fellow senshi. "Venus?" _

_The silence of the canyon closed in on Mars like a vice. She paused, feeling Mercury and Jupiter's concern before she sensed them at her back. Their fear was tangible, and it was contagious._

"_Mars…" Mercury's hand reached for her comrade's shoulder. "Where is the Princess?"_

"_Serenity!" Mars swore, unbridled fear gripping her. Despite every aching muscle in her exhausted body, she launched herself into a sprint and ran forward blindly._

_But deep in her heart, she didn't know who she was running for._

_She crouched behind a jagged outcropping of rock, hiding her trembling Princess behind her. Biding her time, she examined her prey and its eleven outlying defenders methodically, carefully weighing her options._

"_Stay here." Venus whispered, and before protest could reach her ears, she was out in the open and dashing toward her opponents. _

_Stealth and speed had given her the advantage, and she had almost gotten within range before the droids had even detected her presence. Within seconds of closing in on her target, she was dodging the attacks of several of its defenders; electric bolts that, though non-lethal, were dangerous none the less. She leapt into mid air and turned her body, avoiding three simultaneous blasts, and with a flourish of her right hand, she delivered a Love Me Chain in the direction of the leader droid. A fiery explosion erupted behind her, but a carefully planned roll followed by a summersault across the rocky ground carried to her safety. _

_The blonde warrior leapt to her feet and adopted a defensive stance. Ten droids were in closing in fast, but her small frame never wavered as they approached. _

_With a whirring click, all ten foes realized their leader had been destroyed, and with loud, skidding crashes, fell harmlessly at Venus' feet. _

_With a shaky exhale of breath, the mounted fear and tension so skillfully held at bay drained from Venus' body and her shaky legs gave out from underneath her. Bonelessly, she collapsed to her knees on the unforgiving, jagged terrain._

"_Venus!"_

_A small smile touched the Venusian's lips as her Princess rushed her. With crocodile tears in her wide eyes, Serenity put her arms around her protector and wailed incomprehensibly. Several injured ribs groaned in protest and Venus tried to stifle a cough triggered by her Princess's exuberant embrace. She'd just thrown a reassuring arm around Serenity's slight frame when she caught sight of _her

_Mars. _

_At the edge of the mists, the Martian senshi stood, gasping for breath, wide eyed with a blank expression controlling her features. _

_Venus froze, seemingly more tense than she had been during battle. How much had her self proclaimed rival seen? Surely, she must be upset at Venus for having taken control of the situation on her own, but what did she expect her to do? She couldn't very well have waited for Reiko to find the leader droid any longer when their Princess had been in danger. The tension between them felt as thick as the mist that crowded around them. _

_Her glare unwavering, Mars crossed her arms and nodded stiffly. "I leave Serenity in your hands." Her words were a commanding bark, an order. Gruffly, she turned and began to walk away at a proud, clipped pace, trying her hardest not to let an ounce of her exhaustion show. _

"_Mars!" Venus shouted._

_The senshi of fire paused mid-stride, holding herself to her full height, her face turned upwards, but she never turned back to face Venus or Serenity. "The Princess of the Moon is the responsibility of the leader of the senshi, Venus."_

_And with that, the proud Martian went on her way, not even pausing as she passed the questioning looks of Mercury and Jupiter, who'd finally caught up with their former leader. _

"_Reiko…" Venus' voice was a mere whisper before her jaw clacked shut. 'Can't you see that this isn't a battle for leadership? Can't you see… see that I…'_

Minako smiled a bittersweet smile at the emotions that memory provoked before returning to her previous thoughts. She would not just take what she wanted from Rei. She could not.

Just as it had been in the past for Mars and Venus, her relationship with Rei in this life was complicated. Of course she had feelings for Rei. Of course she wanted to tell her about it. But in a relationship borne on competition, and fed on awkwardness, Rei was a very difficult person to open up to, especially when you're as stubborn and heard headed as the one you like. And in addition to being stubborn and hard headed, Minako was also prone to bottling up her own emotions for the sake of others. After all, it was easier to pine away from afar and keep her mind occupied with her career than to take the chance of loosing the friendship they both cherished.

And so, she'd keep suffering quietly. Hell, she'd written _songs_ about it. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been a martyr. She'd filled that role many lives over. She would continue to suppress her feelings, because that was all Minako knew how to do.

No. She would not tell Rei how she felt, not unless she saw an opening, a sign, that hopeful chance that Rei may still return the feelings she'd harbored for the past five years. But was that hoping for too much? The hope that one day, the love of Reiko and Minako, the Mars and Venus of the past, may be repeated in the lives of the present. Their current personas were little different than those of the past and still, those two opposing figures had fallen in love. Their love had been one of mutual attraction, an affection and depth never shown in public, rarely even shown outwardly at all, yet it was a love that never needed reassurance; it was as confident as their personas, as powerful as their senshi strength. It was a love that should have lasted them lifetimes over.

Yet something had gone wrong, hadn't it? After all, the tragic end of their past lives hadn't been as cut and dry as Luna had made it out to be all those years ago. And if Rei hadn't regain Reiko's memories back when she reawakened as a senshi, there must have been a reason. If those memories hadn't returned because they were too painful for Rei to handle, did Minako really wish Reiko's memories to return to Rei, even if she were to remember them on her own accord?

Minako wasn't so sure she wanted to answer that question.

Catching Artemis' worried glance, she nodded to him discreetly and resolved herself to follow along with Saitou's motions and questions.

But first, she sighed inaudibly. Being the leader of the senshi meant understanding and accepting the worst possibility of any situation, but that didn't mean Minako was a complete pessimist. Not allowing herself to be saddened by what seemed like the impossibility of a new relationship between herself and Rei, she discarded her worries and fears and latched onto that small glimmer of hope she'd clung onto for what felt like an eternity…

The hope that whatever had been there five years ago, between Rei and herself, still lurked in Rei's heart the way it kept her own steadily beating.

OOO

A/N:

A little boring, I know, but I had to get some background out there. Hey, a lot has happened in five years and I don't want to just throw our main characters together too fast and ruin my plot. So there!

Thanks to those of you that reviewed, and to the many more of you that signed up for future alerts. Keep letting me know what you think! Reviews fuel a writer's stories. As to Secretdreamer's concern, I don't think the entirety of this fic will be too dark. It _is_ however a drama, so it will have it ups and downs. Please hang in there, I'm sure you'll all be pleasently surprised! I'm currently working on chapter 13, so I'll be posting as soon as I can edit past chapters.

OOO

Chapter 3 Preview:

Still not achieving a response, Usagi began to fear for her former senshi. Cautiously reaching out to try to shake her friend, she'd almost made contact with the chilled gooseflesh of Rei's bare arms when the miko finally spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Tomorrow."

"What about tomorrow, Rei-chan?"

"She's coming back tomorrow."

Usagi almost jumped backwards at Rei's deadpan voice, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Although she didn't possess the deductive abilities of most, Usagi knew that Rei was captured by the flame before her. "Who's coming back, Rei-chan?"

Trying to see what her powerful friend was sensing in the fire that fueled her mystical powers, Usagi peered into the small, flickering flame. Somehow, if she squinted just right, she thought she could almost make out the image of Aino Minako…


	3. Chapter 3

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 3: The Sign  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

She could have been just another ordinary, dark-haired young woman standing outside just another ordinary restaurant on the Juuban strip, waiting for just another ordinary friend that was current running behind schedule.

Hino Rei was far from ordinary, in all those respects but one. Tsukino Usagi, though also equally as unordinary as she, _was_ very, very late.

Rei scowled. She knew she should be happy to be home, to get the rare opportunity to see her old friends, especially to have a night out on the town with her Princess. But instead, Rei was anxious, for although she was looking forward to seeing her friends, the reason for her return to Tokyo wasn't a social call at all, it was shrine business. Shrine business that would result in a decision she would have to make that she was still coming to terms with.

'_Perhaps the future isn't so cut and dry after all.'_ She pondered darkly.

The miko shook herself mentally. It would be no good to greet Usagi in such a pensive mood. Perhaps it was a good thing she was late. To lighten her spirits, she created a diversion by immersing herself in the scenery, eyeing over her old haunts.

A glance to the left, past the parking lot flow of traffic and beyond the nearly solid wall of pedestrians across the street was a garish neon sign written in katakana text that read; 'Crown'. For Rei and her friends, the karaoke-ya had been both a home away from home and a secret base for their senshi gatherings. The place also made her think of her Princess, where she had refused her insistent friend each and every time she was asked to join in a round of karaoke. Above the Crown building, rotating blue and white lights caught her eye, and Rei recognized the Ferris wheel of the amusement park that Ami had been so fond of, the amusement park that had also doubled as a battleground in their fight against the Dark Kingdom on several occasions. Next to capture her eye was the brick façade of the Imperial Hotel. Frequently a site for uncomfortable meetings between herself and her politician father, it was also where she and Makoto had gotten to know one another, and had run up and down its halls with wild abandon in their escape.

A look to the north granted her a view of a Catholic church, and suddenly Rei's reminiscent mood was tinged with warring emotions. There was a hint of sadness there, for the graveyard behind the chapel was the final resting place of her mother, but there was also something else that lurked in Rei's heart when she saw that small, stone building. It was where she'd first seen Aino Minako, in which the moment they met had touched off both their friendship and their first rivalry. It was also where she'd met Sailor Venus, where Rei had found that the safety of she who'd she'd first thought was her Princess had sparked a helpless, yet well hidden, obsession deep within her.

A sudden car horn tore Rei from her growingly introspective world. Jumping slightly, her small, black purse slipped from the crook of her arm and fell to the ground at her feet. Stooping quickly to collect it, she gathered a couple items that had threatened to slip out; her Teletia S, a small compact, and lastly, a strip of photo club pictures she couldn't help but pull out slightly to get a better look at.

She slowly stood back up against the wall of the restaurant, and the crowds of people passing by her, the slow, steady flow of traffic, and the constant assault on the senses that was the sights and sounds of Tokyo faded just slightly as she looked at the memento of she and Minako. A long strip featuring several shots of the two of them, the progression of the images almost told the story of their friendship. The first photo showed Rei on the far side of the photo, obviously irritated at the thought of being in a photo booth, and Minako, a wide smile on her face, sitting just off the photo's center. The shot in the middle showed marked improvement, with Rei having inched more into the photo, a tentative smile pulling at her lips and Minako stealing a glance at her out of the corner of her eye. The last shot was Rei's favorite. Flashing the victory sign with one hand, Minako had her other arm around Rei's shoulder, her head tipped into Rei's, and Rei, having finally gotten comfortable with the idea, was Minako's mirror image.

Just like that sequence of photos, Rei's friendship and rivalry with Minako had evolved into something more than simple idolism and competition, and had reached its peak with Minako's illness related death and the subsequent rebirth of the world at Usagi's hands. They were feelings that had reemerged the very day they'd all met again and regained their memories of the incredible feat they'd accomplished as senshi, and those feelings for Minako had continued to grow even as they'd begun to go their separate ways; with Rei pursuing her Shinto calling and Minako touring overseas. Yet, even apart, their friendship budded on late night phone calls, had grown on the occasional letter and photo swap, and had blossomed on rare face to face visits they'd shared over the past few years.

In fact, this very photo had been taken the last time Minako had been in town. It had been so brief that the other girls hadn't even known the international idol had been in town and she'd only had the time to see Rei. It had been just the two of them and Rei had enjoyed having her closest friend, her best friend, all to herself for a change…

A fierce blush colored Rei's cheeks. Flustered, she averted her eyes and shoved the photo strip back in her purse, and though she wasn't entirely sure that the shiver that traveled down her spine was borne from the bitter gusts of pre-winter wind that howled between Tokyo's walls of buildings, she huddled into her black wool jacket none the less. Just when it seemed that nothing could possibly warm her, a gasp issued through her chattering teeth.

_A bitter gust of wind shook the wooden frame that held the leather and wool tent in place, causing a drift of snow to roll off the pitched roof._

_The inhospitable weather outside created a sharp contrast to the inside of the tent, where a fire crackled and popped in its center. The flames danced wildly, the embers reaching for the darkness as the fireglow teased the dancing shadows of the small space. Bathed in the red and orange hues of the fire, the cold, leather skin of a thick blanket gave way to warm fur underneath, but it wasn't the only thing heating the two bare bodies beneath its protection._

_Despite her fiery nature and regardless of the flames that fueled her powers, Mars' homeworld was a cold and bitter planet. As such, the fire senshi was at home even in the coldest of terrains, even if her partner wasn't. But one thing Venus was quick to learn was that the Martians have a talent for heating up even the coldest of beds. _

_Caramel eyes, watched passionately by a set of darker ones, slowly shut before a raspy whisper filled the cold air hotly. _

"_Rei-" _

With a sharp intake of breath, Rei shuddered again, only, this time, she wasn't quite as cold as she had been. She frowned warily.

It had happened again. Another memory of her past life.

Rei chewed her lower lip idly. She'd had several seemingly random visions ever since that night just days ago in the fireroom, when she'd tapped into a memory from her past life that she wasn't meant to remember, a hauntingly vague vision of a battlefield, of Venus… a wounded Venus, and the fierce eyes of Sailor Mars that seemed to guard any further details. It was all she could remember, and it bothered her greatly.

But did it bother her as greatly as the new visions she'd had since? A blush colored her cheeks. She and Minako hadn't exactly been on a _battlefield_ in that last one. It's not that the thought disgusted her. Quite the contrary, in fact. One couldn't exactly attend a Catholic girls' school without examining the concept of girl-girl relationships, and for Rei, this included the crazy thought of sharing such a relationship with her closest friend…

Yes. She could admit to herself that she'd been attracted to Minako ever since they'd met. It was a fact she'd kept to herself in the five years of their friendship, too afraid to voice her feelings, afraid of ridicule, afraid of driving her closest friend away… and now she was learning that the Venus and Mars of the past may have shared such a relationship? It wasn't the only vision she'd had that suggested such a relationship, either. The irony was almost too much for her.

In fact, although she couldn't tap back into that one particular memory of herself and the wounded Venus on the battlefield, she _had_ tapped into a wealth of others. For example, although she was learning that the Mars and Venus of the past had shared some kind of physical relationship, it hadn't always been smooth sailing between the two of them.

_Long plumes of grasses billowed in the wind, stirred by the smoke left from the remnants of a mock battle. The other girls had retreated inside to celebrate a victory that hadn't come easily, but Venus took the opportunity to roughly corner her subordinate against the flagstone wall of their makeshift headquarters. _

"_Mars, do you hate me?"_

"_Yes!" The senshi of fire's white gloved hands clenched into tightly balled fists at her sides, but she was unable to maintain eye contact with her superior. They were standing close. Too close for Mars' comfort. Too close for her to breathe._

_  
The Venusian Princess recoiled at the normally evasive and stubborn girl's honest answer. After three months of training alongside the introverted Martian, it was the most direct answer she'd ever received, and although she may have struck a nerve, her brief answer wasn't good enough. _

"_Why do you hate me?" The question was meant to come off as indignant, but even to Venus' own ears, her voice sounded hurt. She made a show of casually tossing her golden hair over a shoulder, hoping her self proclaimed rival hadn't detected her weakness. _

_  
Too tense to have noticed, Mars plunged forward, her arms pressed tightly against her chest, her voice an accusatory bark. "I resent the fact that you just waltzed in here and claimed yourself as our leader."  
_

"_That was predetermined. You know I was sent to train alongside the outer senshi for that purpose."_

_  
Waist length raven hair swaying softly in the gentle breeze, Mars' windswept bangs betrayed watery eyes. When her rival acknowledged her tears by relaxing her posture and widening those caramel eyes, she snapped at Venus' expression of concern. _

"_I don't care about someone else's plan for the future, and I don't appreciate the fact that you just walked into my life and turned it upside down!" The Martian gasped, choking on her own breath. How could she have slipped up like that? She'd revealed such a weakness to her rival in both words and gestures. She'd given herself away when she'd meant to distance herself from this woman who confused her so terribly. _

_  
"Mars?" The golden haired woman's voice was a shaky whisper. Was she reading the fire senshi right or was she just imagining what she knew she wanted to see as she read between the lines? In the confusion, in her concern, Venus' senshi persona faded away in a golden glow. With an equally shaky hand, Minako reached out to her subordinate. _

_Watching the suddenly dark haired girl reach out for her with a shaky hand that seemed so warm, so comforting, Mars flinched, pressing herself against the cold stone wall. Eyes wide, she looked like a caged animal. Her fear was tangible, and she knew Minako could feel it, for the slightly smaller girl paused slightly, giving Mars just the space she needed to slip away from her. _

"_Why do you care what I think, anyway?" Mars spat before sprinting away.  
_

Yes. Not unlike their present day relationship, it had seemed as though the one of their past had been just as muddled with rivalry, competition, confusion and uncertainty.

But that led Rei back to her original question. Why remember her past life now, five years after awakening as a senshi? Indeed, it was as though by having triggered that first seemingly forbidden memory, the floodgates to her past life's memories had opened, and random events of that era now deemed to pop into her mind unbidden. Certainly none of the snippets that were coming back to her could have helped her in any way, shape, or form during their struggle against the Dark Kingdom on the battlefield of _war_… Rei blushed hotly at the implication. Just what was going on here? Just what did she need these memories for? And why _now_ of all times, did she have to deal with these strange memories that served only to fan the flames of her confused and jumbled feelings for Minako?

"Rei-chan! Rei-chan! Rei-chan!"

If Rei had been paying the least amount of attention to her surroundings, she wouldn't have been quite so shocked with what had happened next.

"Reiiiii!"

"Huh?" Barely remembering where she was, the miko blinked right before she was almost tackled to the ground by an unknown body. Gathering her wits, her balance and her bearings, she managed to right herself and her assailant, saving them both from an impact with the restaurant wall.

"Usagi-chan!?" Rei was caught between frowning and smiling at her exuberant Princess.

"Heh heh." The dark haired, pigtailed girl righted herself and flashed her friend the victory sign. "Sorry I'm so late, Rei-chan!"

With a wide smile on her face, Usagi polished off the remains of a double banana split, a stark contrast to her friend, who pushed a few blueberries around the crust of a half eaten tart.

Although she'd tried her hardest to keep up with Usagi's somehow impossibly complicated life of housewife and part time book store clerk, which consisted of a confusing jumble of names, places, and events, Rei was still two steps behind her Princess.

"So, your boss, Haruna-san-"

"No, no, Haruna-chan is my coworker. Mizuki-san is my boss."

"Oh… right." Rei's brow furrowed.

Usagi's expression softened. Her most introspective and subsequently least socially adept senshi wasn't one for gossiping purposes and so she shifted the direction of conversation. "Ne, Rei-chan, I'm really glad you're back for a visit, but you haven't told me, what actually brings you back to Tokyo?"

Rei's lips pinched together. She took a deep breath and slowly set her fork onto her plate quietly. Her hands folded in her lap awkwardly. "I, um… I was asked to become Priestess of the Kyoto-yama Shrine."

A forgotten ice cream spoon clattered against Usagi's empty bowl nosily. "Really!?"

Rei's cheeks colored immediately. She couldn't find the courage to look either her friend or the other diners in the eye, as Usagi's high pitched squeal seemed to have made the quiet restaurant even quieter, drawing the attention of several couples to their table.

Though her voice returned to a normal decibel, Usagi's exuberance didn't diminish in the least. "Oh, Rei-chan, I'm so happy for you! You must be so excited! You've worked towards this your whole life!"

"Ah… un." Rei nodded slightly. "Well, I still have to… seek approval from the priest of my former temple here in Tokyo first… but you see, I-"

Usagi's hands clasped before her and she sighed dramatically. "Oh Rei-chan, you'll be so perfect as a Priestess. And to imagine how much you've changed since we first met."

Rei frowned cautiously as her Princess steamrolled right over her. "Eh?"

"Oh come on, you're being too modest! And to think, one of _my_ closest friends will be a real Priestess!"

Rei faltered momentarily. Usagi may have misread her hesitation as modesty, but she had also made a very true statement. She _had_ changed greatly in those five years since meeting her Princess.

Five years ago, Tsukino Usagi had become friends with a bitter, standoffish girl, and through her unintentional lessons of friendship, and trust, she had affected Rei greatly. It was Kino Makoto who had taught the angry miko to release her hatred for her father and as a result, Rei began the healing process of trying to understand the estranged man. Mizuno Ami had taught her not only dedication to a cause, but relief in saving a friend and cherishing that friendship.

And then, there was Aino Minako. Minako had taught Rei rivalry. She had toughened her up, forced her to look inside herself to find her own power. Minako had taught her respect and perhaps true friendship, a friendship that, despite their differences and ongoing rivalries, was deeper than anything Rei had ever felt in her life. And in turn, _she_ had taught Minako a thing or two as well, hadn't she? Not that the idol had ever said it in so many words, but Rei knew she was responsible for showing their wayward leader that there was more to life than duty, that she had helped to give Minako a reason to live once again…

And she was getting carried away again, wasn't she? Rei kept a frustrated sigh at bay. It always came back to Minako, didn't it?

It was only then that she'd realized that Usagi had never stopped talking.

"This is so great! We'll have to celebrate this occasion! And since you're actually in town, almost all of us can get together now that Ami started her residence last month." A frown quickly captured Usagi's lips as she pondered the brooding miko. "You don't look too excited about all this, Rei-chan."

Rei's dark eyes widened. How could she explain her uncharacteristic worries about her future to her Princess? Not wanting to be a downer when Usagi was so excited, she plastered a slight smile on her face. "Oh, no, I'm sure you'll plan a great party, Usagi. It's just… until I talk to my elders here at Hikawa Shrine, I don't want everyone to know yet. That's all. Do you think… you can keep it a secret until then?"

Usagi hummed, nodding sagely and winking at her friend. "You can count on me!" She smiled when Rei visibly relaxed. "But we have to have a party anyway." She flashed the victory sign at her suddenly grumpy friend, to which Rei couldn't help but giggle. Usagi was a difficult one to stay angry at, after all.

With an overly dramatic sigh, the pigtailed girl propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her palms. "Too bad Minako wasn't here though, or we'd all be together again."

Almost as if on cue, the dark haired woman across the table from her squinted, her gaze seemingly stuck on the flame of the small candle that sat between them. Rei breathed in sharply, her breath hitching in her throat.

"Rei?" Usagi asked tentatively, concern mounting for her suddenly entranced friend, noting the concentration that furrowed the miko's brow and the wistful, almost lost look that captured her expression. "Rei-chan?"

Still not achieving a response, she began to fear for her former senshi. Cautiously reaching out to try to shake her friend, she'd almost made contact with the chilled gooseflesh of Rei's bare arms when the miko finally spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Tomorrow."

"What about tomorrow, Rei-chan?"

"She's coming back tomorrow."

Usagi almost jumped backwards at Rei's deadpan voice, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end regardless. Although she didn't possess the deductive abilities of most, Usagi knew that Rei was captured by the flame. "Who's coming back, Rei-chan?"

Trying to see what her powerful friend was sensing in the fire that fueled her mystical powers, Usagi peered into the small, flickering flame. Somehow, if she squinted just right, she thought she could almost make out the image of Aino Minako…

The flame extinguished itself in a non-existent breeze. The miko at the other end of the table shuddered.

"I'm sorry, did you say something, Usagi?"

OOO

"Hello?" Usagi asked lazily where she lay with her feet at the head of her bed. At the other end, where she twirled a finger around a lock of hair absently, her head rested next to a dark blue plushie of a sleeping cat.

"Usagi-chan, it's-"

"_Minako-chan!" _Usagi squealed.

With a screaming meow, the now very awake plushie bolted from the bed in surprise, landing on the low table below that served as Mamoru's desk, sending his textbooks crashing to the floor. Minako chuckled as Usagi dropped the phone to perform damage control, apologizing to Luna before helping her husband gather his textbooks off the floor. It was only a brief moment before her Princess picked up the phone again, this time, using a much more normal tone of voice.

"Ah, Minako-chan, sorry about that. It's so good to hear from you! How are you? How is your tour going? Are you still in Britain?

Trying to keep up with her friend's rapid fire questioning, the idol propped her feet up on the coffee table and made mental notes in order to answer them all. Artemis hopped up on her lap and she idly stroked the soft fur of the white plushie.

"Well, I _am_ in Britain right now, but you see, my manager is planning a huge encore finale concert in Tokyo, and-"

"_What!?_ An encore finale? Here in Tokyo!?" The phone was muffled again as Usagi apologized for startling her cat and her husband for a second time.

"Un, next week. So I'll be flying back home tomorrow-"

"Ah! Rei-chan was right!" Usagi exclaimed, though she was more eager to learn the details of the event.

"R-Rei?" The name was a distracted whisper on the idol's lips.

"Un. Well, not in so many details, of course. She just told me you were coming back tomorrow. She didn't know about the concert, or-"

"But how would she…?"

"Oh, I guess the fire told her. She was looking at you in the flame of a candle. But don't tell her I said that! I'll bet she'd get real upset with me for some silly reason." Usagi said with mock exasperation. "Anyway, we have to get everyone together for a huge celebration! The first one will be for your return and then we're going to have another party, because Rei has something to celebrate too!"

"Something to celebrate?" Through her numbed state of shock, it was the only part of Usagi's dialogue Minako managed to capture.

"Ah! It's a secret! You'll just have to wait to find out." Usagi stated smugly.

"U-un." Minako agreed dumbly, her mind solely devoted to a much more shocking event.

The rest of their conversation was a blur to the idol. Perhaps a little too adept at flying on auto pilot, she was vaguely aware of divulging all the information about the still top-secret concert to her number one fan, and the next thing she knew she was hanging up the phone.

She didn't know how long she sat there numbly, clutching her cell phone in her right hand, her left still stroking the sleeping Artemis slowly, but eventually, staring forward aimlessly at nothing began to burn her eyes, and with a long sigh, she leant her head back into the chair.

She knew little about Rei's psychic abilities, but she did know that it was a feat to receive a premonition in a medium as weak as a candle. And to see not only a premonition, but to have understood in such detail that she was coming back the next day…

Minako shut her eyes slowly. Mars Reiko had been known to have that ability. So was Rei tapping into the abilities of her previous persona? Could she have sensed danger, and was searching for her leader?

"Mars Reiko…" Minako gasped breathlessly. Could she even begin to hope that maybe, just maybe, the Mars Reiko buried within Rei had begun to stir? For if Rei could locate Minako via a weak flame of a candle, had other abilities, other _memories_ had resurfaced in her as well?

She had told herself, time and again, that she wouldn't pursue Rei romantically. Not unless there was a sign, a sign that Rei might remember the past life they'd shared, a sign that Rei might return her feelings…

But could Minako dare to believe that such a sign had just showed itself, or was she just getting her hopes up falsely? Was she setting herself up to be disappointed?

"What does it matter?" She whispered to Britain's skyline. "There's no turning back now."

OOO

Author's Notes:

I promise, in the next chapter, Rei and Minako will finally meet again! Actually, I really like this chapter, even though our main characters still have yet to meet.

Thanks again to all my reviewers; you guys know that reviews are the fuel that keep writers going, so please keep it up! My hit to review ratio sucks, so I know there's got to be people out there that are reading this for a reason. So what do you like, and more importantly, what _don't_ you like about what you're reading?

OOO

Preview, Chapter 4:

Rei felt a shiver travel down her spine. She was so badly shaken that she didn't know whether she wanted to push Minako away or pull her towards her, to smack that all knowing smirk off her beautiful face, or to kiss those utterly tempting lips. All she knew for certain was that she couldn't stand Minako's silent gaze any longer. So Rei expressed her emotions the only way she knew how.

"You got a staring problem?" She challenged her former leader.

"Maybe I do."

"Can't… can't you stare elsewhere then?"

"Maybe I already like what I see."


	4. Chapter 4

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 4: Awkward Space  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

_For all its upscale furnishings and expensive appeal, the orderly hotel room was suffocating in its neutral colors and blandness. Outside the wrap around windows, the setting sun shone on the skyline of a foreign city; neon lights blinked into existence, apartment lights turned on, and in the distance, an impressive clock face glowed the time. Big Ben? This was Britain she was seeing?_

_Slowly, the other end of the unremarkable room came into focus. A petite, dark haired woman trudged through the door, dropped her oversize purse in the hallway, and stumbled into the bedroom where she promptly collapsed on the bed. A small, white plushie cat hopped up alongside her, but her attention was glued to a framed photo on the nightstand, the only personal touch in the almost sterile room. Eyeing the picture critically, the young woman finally picked it up, as if drawing it closer to herself would bring her closer to the emotions captured within it. _

_And just like that, Rei's view shifted. No longer watching from afar, it was suddenly as though she were lying right next to the object of her vision, and when she looked down for a better glimpse of the photo, she was shocked to see a well remembered image of herself and Minako, side by side at the beach wearing matching bikinis and matching grins. _

_Which is when she looked back at the white cat and finally recognized Artemis._

_Which is when she slowly turned her head, knowing who she'd see, but almost afraid to see it…_

_Aino Minako lay next to her. And having made that recognition, a sudden wave of foreign emotions flooded Rei's consciousness; exhaustion, frustration, excitement, but mostly, what she felt from the other girl was longing. And above all, one concrete thought slammed into Rei's mind: _

'_Tomorrow. I'll get to see her again tomorrow.'_

Rei carefully set her brush down on the simple, wooden dresser of her old room at the Hikawa Shrine. Staring blankly at her reflection, her mind replayed the vision she had experienced the night before; a vision brought to her unbidden by the mere flame of a candle at the most unopportune time during dinner with Usagi.

She had always had a talent for seeing things, premonitions, in the fire before, but such images had always come to her in vague and abstract shapes and feelings, never so clearly defined, never so fully detailed, never had she been able to pinpoint someone she knew on demand and… and understand what they were thinking! The newfound ability somewhat frightened her, and although she had to admit that she longed to try it again, she didn't know if it was because she wanted to test her new found skill, or simply because she wanted to see the image of Minako once more.

Having not fallen asleep until the early hours of the morning, Rei had spent most of the previous night in a frustrated state of confusion. How had she gained this ability? Was it related to remembering her past life? Had she regained a skill she had once used during her life on the moon? And if so, what had triggered the vision and what was its significance?

But what had shocked her the most was that although she had felt the truth in her strange premonition, she had still been caught off guard when Usagi had called her earlier that morning to inform her of the party that night – a party to welcome back Aino Minako.

There were too many questions, too many uncertainties; between the memories of her past life that still trickled to her consciousness in bits and pieces, her strange new ability to tap into there whereabouts and _what_abouts of her closest friend, and her yet jumbled feelings for said woman… and now she was forced with _facing_ her?

Well, she'd have to face her mad, because Rei was rather upset at the singer, who couldn't so much as let her closest friend know she was coming back for a visit. But then, that irritation would only make it easier to face the object of her confusion, for that anger, that desire to avoid Minako, was so much easier than dealing with the other warring feelings she couldn't seem to keep her mind off of.

And here she was, in her old room at her old shrine, getting ready; perhaps a little overdressed in a skirt that might have been a little too short and a blouse that might have been a little too fitted for a respectable miko, perhaps being a little too critical of the makeup she was applying ever so carefully, perhaps fussing entirely too much when she wasn't even sure why she was doing it in the first place.

There was, of course, one upside to this distraction. At least she could put off meeting with her shrine elders this day. But she also knew she couldn't put off the reason for her trip forever, for when it came down to it, they were as aware of the purpose of her visit as she was.

OOO

Minako paused behind a door that only she could see, a door that would lead her to the senshi's secret headquarters. It sounded silly, at the age of nineteen, to still use such words, but that's exactly what that room had been; a secret base from which they'd planned to protect the world. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Technically, since they'd all died, only to be reborn thanks to Usagi and the power of the ginzuishou, it _had_ been a lifetime ago. Minako smirked sardonically and wrapped her hand around the cool, metal doorknob.

But she didn't open the door. Slowly, her hand returned back to her side distractedly. Even though they'd grown so close, she anticipated that she and Rei would barely acknowledge each other at first; that default need for rivalry was still so much a part of them. It had been five months since they'd last seen each other. It felt like yesterday. It felt like forever. She couldn't distinguish the difference, it was too confusing, but she supposed that went with the territory.

Minako realized she was stalling, but it was that same self awareness that made her begrudgingly understand that the anticipation of seeing Rei always reduced her to a giddy school girl.

The pop star sucked in a breath of air and stood straight. Such a simple thing shouldn't bother her. She was Aino Minako, international singing sensation. She'd performed concerts in front of tens of thousands, been on countless television interviews, all without blinking an eye. But here, one woman; her closest friend, reduced her to a shy and nervous wreck.

Finally, she grit her teeth and stepped forward, and with a shaky hand, reached out to open the door.

OOO

"Kino Hana-ya." Usagi sighed dreamily.

"Hmm. You are going to keep your last name, then." Rei commented critically.

"Owning your own business at nineteen? You're so amazing, Mako-chan." Ami complimented kindly.

With Rei holding a small, colorful piece of paper between them, Kino Makoto blushed down at the advertisement that promoted her small flower shop that had only just opened its doors.

"Wai! Minako-chan!" It was Usagi's excitable voice that caused her friends to first cringe, and second, catch her excitement.

Barely waiting for the idol to finish descending the steps, the former princess tackled her jetsetting friend, who, despite her time away from the ball of energy that was Usagi, still managed to keep not only her feet underneath her, but Usagi's, too. A good sense of balance was a prerequisite to befriending the excitable woman, but Minako had the ability to do it all while maintaining her cool sense of grace.

There was a flurry of motion and Minako was surrounded. Usagi clung to one arm, Makoto was firing questions at her, and Ami was trying to get a polite, yet insistent word in edgewise. Laughs and hugs abounded as each woman got reacquainted with each other in a girlish barrage of words, squeals and gestures that covered each others newest hairstyle, the latest makeup and accessories, and of course, the freshest gossip.

Finally deciding she'd waited long enough, Minako causally turned to Usagi. "Did you get a hold of Rei? Was she going to be able to make it?"

The question was a farce. She'd felt Rei's eyes on her the moment she'd walked through that door, and it had taken every ounce of willpower she'd had to keep from running directly to her. But Minako knew the most effective ways to Rei's heart, and playing hard to get was one of them.

"She was with us just a second ago," Ami began uncertainly, "oh, there she is."

"Earth to Rei-chan?" Makoto teased her gaping friend.

Halfway across the room, the miko still hadn't moved, but it wasn't the irritation she harbored, her basis of avoiding Minako, that kept her at bay. It was simply that as soon as she'd seen the other woman walk in, she was struck by the intense realization of just how much she'd missed her. That, and the miniskirt the idol wore which allowed for an ample amount of leg didn't help her in the diverting of her eyes department, either.

Somehow, Rei managed to pick her jaw up off the floor, and as Minako approached to the foreground, the background that was her friends faded away, and although she was sure they were still talking amongst themselves, it seemed deathly quiet to her. Coming to a hesitant halt in that awkward space between a handshake and a hug, Minako pinned Rei with caramel eyes.

'_How is it possible for her to have grown even more irresistible?'_

'_The posters and TV interviews do her beauty no justice.'_

Perhaps they stared at each other a little too long, for a very unsubtle clearing of one's throat caught the two women off guard. Minako spurred herself into motion, closing the gap between herself and Rei and embracing the other woman in a loose hug. The miko, though somewhat upset with herself for not sticking to her guns on showing her irritation with the idol, made to return her friends' gesture when her heightened senses picked up the distant scent of sulfur and a harsh voice carried on a non-existent wind...

"_Mars, Retreat!" _

Her senses heightened, Rei stood stark still while she tried to catch the fleeting traces of the one remembrance she could never seem to grasp, the one and only thing that could have possibly distracted her attention from the woman embracing her.

Finally, Minako awkwardly pulled away from her seemingly frozen friend. A slight frown captured the singer's lips. Having sensed a change in the other woman, the haunted look in Rei's wide eyes didn't go unnoticed. There were a million questions Minako wanted to ask, but as the others convened on them once more, tugging at their resident idol, she knew those answers, if she could wrestle them from the stubborn miko at all, would have to wait.

With the girls having pulled Minako away and surrounded her at the table in the center of the room to continue fawning over her, Rei found that she could almost breathe again. Feigning interest in Makoto's ad, still secured loosely between her fingers, she shakily found a seat on one of the couches, and though she couldn't place her finger on the memory she searched for, another deemed to find her...

_Mars' senses were on full alert. She was in danger. Someone was very carefully, very skillfully, tracking her movements. An attack was imminent. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and in half a second, the flames of Mars engulfed her, bringing her transformation into the senshi of fire to fruition. A quick dodge carried her to safety before she turned to meet her attacker._

"_Show yourself!" She barked._

_From the darkness of the empty hallway, a highly subdued crescent beam streaked past her._

"_Ve…Venus!? What is the meaning of this?"_

_The senshi of love and beauty stepped forward from her concealed position, her form shrouded in shadow. _

"_Consider this training."_

_Venus smirked, a predator's smile, before pouncing at her prey. Another round of crescent beams, this time not quite so innocent, were lobbed in Mars' direction. The senshi of fire deftly dodged each one and deflected the last back at her leader with a skilled burning mandala of her own. When the ripples of heat born from Mars' flame dissipated, their eyes met in fiery competition. _

"_Never let your guard down. An attack can come at any time, from any where, from any _one_." Venus' defensive stance relaxed and she nodded at her team mate. "Lesson learned. Nicely done, Mars."_

_In a flash of golden light, Venus detransformed, looking none the less magnificent in a pair of low cut, loose cloth pants and a sheer, skimpy top that left less to Mars' imagination than Venus' fuku had. After a moment's hesitation, Mars followed suit, only, in the space of her detransformation, she found herself being tackled by the slender, yet deceivingly strong arms of her leader. The slightly shorter woman wrestled her second in command against the wall of the palace, gaining leverage on the confused woman and pinning her arms to the wall._

_The two stilled in the dark silence, the only sound being their slightly labored breathing. Minako flashed a quirky half-smile at her captive. _

"_What does this have to do with training?" Mars' voice was a hoarse whisper._

"_Absolutely nothing." Minako's reply, a hair's breadth from the other woman's ear, sent a chill down the senshi of fire's spine. _

_And then, Minako released her prey, departing in a sultry saunter, never once looking back over her shoulder._

With a snort, Rei looked down to find a neat set of marks left by her fingernails in Makoto's now torn ad, though honestly, she didn't know if the pressure applied was a result of being mad or… excited by her latest vision. A quick check of her pulse quickly confirmed it was the later, but still, why did these random memories have to come to her at the most inconvenient of times?

It was then that the miko remembered something from her past, a nagging voice from five years ago. It was a voice she had loathed, but it was also a voice that she had been powerless to resist... Minako's voice.

"_Have you remembered anything yet? From the past life?"_

Then… were _these_ the memories that Minako had been so adamant that Rei should regain five years ago? Perhaps it wasn't their lives as senshi on the moon or the final battle that had ended the Silver Millennium, but the relationship that Venus and Mars had shared in that era that Minako had held so important? But… if these memories _were_ what Minako had wanted Rei to remember, what did she expect from her once she'd regained them?

The questions lined themselves up in Rei's head, but she knew they had no answers. Not unless she got them directly from Minako, and that wasn't a step she was ready to take. Not until she understood how this development affected her own confused emotions.

'_Right now, I'll keep remembering, keep collecting my thoughts, and not say or do anything until I understand more.'_ Although she was hesitant to admit it, Rei realized that she didn't know if it was the effect of the memories of Venus and Mars, or if it was her own desire, but she was acutely aware that the longer she looked at the object of her confusion, the harder it became to keep her hands to herself.

Sitting up straight, shoulders squared, Rei nodded with conviction in her plan, yet was well aware that when she glanced at Minako through the corner of her eye, her action wasn't entirely accidental. But could she possibly blame herself when she was granted a candid view of the senshi of beauty in her element? Head slightly tipped back, eyes wide with laughter, a graceful smile tugging at her lips…

And it was exactly then that that damnable woman made eye contact, and though Rei blushed and diverted her gaze, she'd seen the triumphant smirk on Minako's tempting lips. She almost choked on her own breath when, feeling Minako's gaze still on her, the idol stood from her seat.

It was only ten feet between the table and the couch, but as Minako closed the distance, time slowed to a crawl for the panicking miko. She was vaguely aware of her other friends at the table, squabbling over whose turn it was for a round of karaoke, but at the very least, it created a decent distraction for the two to speak somewhat privately.

Rei sat stiffly as her closest friend sat a little too close for comfort. She struggled to find that irritation she needed to face the singer confidently. _'Remember you're mad at her. Remember you're mad at her.'_

"What are you so pissy about?" Minako's teasing voice was sweet and melodious, and Rei found she had to dig even deeper to remain upset.

"Would it have been too much to at least let your closest friend know you were coming back?"

A quizzical smile played on Minako's lips. Imposing and condescending, Rei may have looked the part, but the hint of betrayal that laced her voice had given her away.

"Ara, but it seems you already knew I was coming back today anyway."

"What?" Rei almost hissed in surprise.

"Usagi-chan told me you knew I was coming back. That the flame of a candle told you."

Minako allowed herself the briefest pause, unwilling to let the precious moment of a deer-in-the-headlights Rei to go by without cherishing it. And although she would have liked to tease the miko more, she knew she'd have to wait for the right time and place to get the answers she wanted, for she knew better than anyone that Rei had very clearly defined boundaries that mustn't be crossed.

"I mean, I should have realized Usagi had actually been _with_ you last night when I spoke to her, but I must not have paid enough attention, because when I flew into Kyoto instead of Narita early this morning-"

Despite herself, Rei gasped. "You… went to Kyoto first?

Minako flashed a crooked grin. "I was _trying_ to surprise you, so I was disappointed to find you weren't at your shrine. I thought I could drag you to Tokyo with me for a few days, but it seemed you'd already beaten me here."

Rei's fading irritation became harder and harder to hold on to, especially after that last comment, but still, she preserved, crossing her arms sternly and crinkling her nose in displeasure. "I'm sure _that_ caused quite a stir, you stopping at my shrine."

"I'll bet you'll have a few questions to answer when you return. Unlike _you_ when we first met, the younger ones recognized me."

Minako flashed the "v" for victory, partnered with a light jab to the miko's ribs. Finally, Rei squarely met Minako's eyes and as the two women fought to keep themselves from falling into one another's' gazes, they decided on simultaneous laughter instead.

And just like that, the spell was broken. Rei had saved face, Minako had played her games, and they were free to be friends again… until the next inevitable dispute.

OOO

Usagi was bouncing off the walls. Literally. With two long, thin pieces of paper cradled to her chest, she bounced excitedly from one end of the room to the other. Rei, Makoto and Ami, somewhat more subdued, but equally excited, crowded around Minako.

"So we'll all get together back stage this time next week?" Makoto asked wide eyed, handling her ticket and access pass as if they were made of gold, and considering the fact that they wouldn't go on sale to the general public until the next day, they probably were worth it.

"You're sure this is okay? I mean, I don't want to impose, I know how busy-"

Ami's concern was cut short by Usagi's hand over her mouth. Minako waved away Ami's concern and Usagi's sudden panic, and found herself laughing when her suddenly exhausted princess let out an sigh of relief and went limp against Ami's shoulder.

"Someone stayed up past their bedtime." Rei chided their princess.

Usagi raised her head and pouted like a petulant child. "One more song." She demanded.

Rei groaned but her other three friends gave way to their future queen.

Minako found three sets of eyes staring at her expectantly, to which she politely declined, "I have to pass, I'm on break until the concert next week." When she was met with three sighs of discontentment, she offered the next best thing, "Come on Rei, it's your turn anyway. Why don't you show us some of that Mars Reiko talent?"

Her posture becoming suddenly rigid, Rei's words were a detached whisper. "Mars… Reiko…"

_She'd just about had it with her second in command and her stubborn subordinate was about to bear the brunt of that frustration. _

"_You listen here, Mars-" Venus Minako deflated. In the past two months since she'd been working alongside the senshi of fire, she'd never learned the woman's given name. Even the other girls called her Mars. "Just what _is_ your real name, anyway?"_

_The equally angry raven haired girl visibly deflated as well, the stubborn righteousness that nearly matched her superior's own dissipated in a heartbeat. She glanced away uncomfortably. "I... I don't have one."_

"_Don't have one?" All traces of animosity gone, the tenseness slipped out of Minako's shoulders as her posture relaxed. Her voice softened. "How could you not have a name?"_

_Mars' fingers tightened into fists, her posture affecting the opposite of her leader's. The sudden concern from her self proclaimed leader, from _anyone,_ felt foreign, frightening. "I… was born into my station. I served no other purpose to my family."_

_The raven haired woman chewed her lower lip tentatively. She'd never felt the need to tell anyone so private an affair before. Why reveal this deep hurt to this infuriatingly vexing woman? Surely, she'd be ridiculed for showing such weakness. She chanced a glance at her superior to find unsuppressed compassion in those achingly beautiful caramel eyes. _

_Instead of questions, instead of condemnation, instead of laughter, Minako laid a supportive hand on Mars' shoulder. Her normally strict expression slipped and she gave the other woman a gentle and honest smile. _

"_Well then, Mars _Reiko_, now that you have a given name, I can properly scold you with it."_

"It wasn't just a stage name." The miko's voice was a mere whisper.

"Rei-chan?"

Rei looked up, startled to see Makoto sitting on the couch next to her. Ami and Usagi were on stage, finishing up their rendition of one of Minako's latest songs. It was one of Rei's favorites, but at the moment, it was only serving to give her a headache. Her head was spinning at her newest revelation granted by her latest vision. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that the memories Minako had wanted her to regain five years ago were of their relationship together, and that back then, Minako had tried to trigger those memories with her Mars Reiko stunt...

But her attempt had failed. Rei hadn't remembered...

And she was taking entirely too long to answer Makoto.

"Ah, it was nothing," Rei assured her friend. "Nothing at all."

But when she glanced sideways at Minako, sitting at the other end of the couch, she couldn't help but notice her friend's critical glare, as though she were summing Rei up, as though she were assessing a situation she already knew the answer to.

Rei felt a shiver travel down her spine. She was so badly shaken she didn't know whether she wanted to push Minako away or pull her towards her, to smack that all knowing smirk off her beautiful face, or to kiss those utterly tempting lips. All she knew for certain was that she couldn't stand Minako's silent gaze any longer. So Rei expressed her emotions the only way she knew how.

"You got a staring problem?" She challenged her former leader.

"Maybe I do."

"Can't… can't you stare elsewhere then?"

"Maybe I already like what I see."

"What are you, some elementary school kid?" She'd meant to come off as witty and unaffected, but she was failing miserably.

"Um, Minako-chan?" Ami interjected politely, sensing the coming storm.

"I'm just playing to your level." Minako smirked coolly. It was too easy. The hardest part was keeping the smile off her face while she watched Rei slowly loose it.

Makoto made a valiant effort, "Uh, Rei-chan-"

"Oh would you grow up?"

"Guys!" Even their princess couldn't pull the two girls out of their school girl squabble. She turned to Ami and Makoto with a helpless pout. "They're two peas in a pod. They may as well be made for each other."

"They can _have_ each other." Makoto grumbled. "At this rate, they won't even notice us leave."

"Here we go again," Ami sighed, "some things never change."

OOO

"Where did everyone go?"

Minako performed a visual check. It hadn't been the first time one of their heated squabbles had left them in another world. "They left us again."

Rei snorted and Minako laughed. Arguing seemed to be an integral part of their relationship, no matter how much they'd matured and grown closer. As if on cue, both women relaxed back into the couch, but when their fingers inadvertently brushed against each other, Minako felt Rei stiffen.

It was now or never.

"Rei, have you sensed a new threat?"

The miko's brows furrowed. She didn't need to be psychic to sense a trap. "What do you mean?"

"Usagi said you saw me last night. In the flame of a candle." For the first time that night, Minako hesitated. "I know that… you had that ability in the past, to sense danger even from dimmest of flames. Being your leader, you would always come to me afterwards. I thought maybe-"

"It's not like that." Rei's words tumbled from her mouth. Bent over slightly so that her long bangs hid her dark eyes, she stared at her hands. "It's not… it's not danger I sensed."

The idol's hopes soared as one of the two possible reasons for Rei to regain such a powerful ability was eliminated. "Then," Minako paused, her heart in her throat, "are you remembering your past life?"

Minako could feel the anxiety rolling off of her best friend in waves. She examined the uncertain look on Rei's features, and for a moment, she didn't know whether the other woman would laugh or cry, scream or whisper. She wanted to get the pensive miko to open up to her, to ease her fears, to talk it all out and draw some conclusions. She just wanted to _hold_ her.

Rei opened her mouth. "… I…" She stopped and shut her eyes. The memories, the revelations both past and present, the very act of being so close to the object of her confusion, were starting to overload her senses. She wanted off this emotional rollercoaster ride, before she did or said something she regretted, and she knew she couldn't trust herself to say the right thing. Not now.

The long haired woman stood up with a sudden conviction. "I have to go."

"Rei?" Minako leapt to her feet, grabbing her closest friend by the wrist.

She couldn't meet Minako's gaze. "I have shrine duties in the morning. I've already stayed out too late."

Minako reluctantly released her hold on the miko, but when Rei finally turned to look at her, the singer had a warm grin for her friend. Although the idol wanted to pursue her cause further, she also knew not to push the envelope, that, given the situation, it would be better to put some distance between herself and her best friend. The further away she retreated, she knew Rei would follow, just like she used to. She just had to believe in her.

"So then, I'll see you next week at the concert, right?" The singer offered brightly.

Rei breathed a sigh of relief, thankful she was being given the distance she needed. Still, on instinct, she stuck her nose in the air. "That depends."

"Depends?"

"Will you be sticking around after the concert, or will you be hitting the road again?"

Minako smiled coyly. She wasn't the only one who wanted to spend a little alone time together. "I think I'll stick around for awhile." She returned, equally non-committal.

Finally, Rei smiled back at her best friend. "Then, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

OOO

Author's Notes:

So? What do you think now that they've finally met again? I'm sure everyone saw the Mars Reiko scene coming. I think every PGSM author likes to make their own version of that one. The next chapter may be a little static, but it's one of my favorites where Rei will remember much of her previous life, so stick with me, because the Rei/Minako fluff will be fun.

Please review –it makes updates come faster! And to those of you that have reviewed so far, especially Venus Reiko, MelsT, Teenslayer, Evrae and Lokiador – it's nice to know exactly _why_ people like what they're reading.

OOO

Chapter 5 preview:

_The senshi of love released a squeal of surprise that was hushed by familiar lips. Her magazine fell to the floor forgotten as her lover's arms slipped around her waist and she was pushed back against the edge of the counter. _

"_Someone might see us." Minako's words were a quiet whisper in Reiko's ear. It was a statement with no inflection, nor was it laced with fear. Ever practical, she was simply identifying a possibility. _

"_I," Reiko kissed the corner of Minako's mouth, "don't," she nipped Minako's bottom lip with her teeth, "care." she fully claimed possession of the other woman's lips._


	5. Chapter 5

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 5: Seven Days Without Minako  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

The morning after Minako's welcome back party, Rei woke up with a throbbing headache and bleary eyes. She felt like she had a hangover. In reality, she had to assume that Minako just had that effect on her.

She knew her best friend well. She had observed Minako's critical eyes on her several times the night before and it was clear that the singer had known something was up. She had suspected that Rei was remembering their past lives. But the question was, even if she would admit that her best friend's suspicions had been correct, what did Minako expect from her? Did she expect Rei to jump into her arms and proclaim her love for her? Rei snorted, and then frowned.

No. That had been Minako's failing when they were younger, not her own. Rei would not be swayed by decisions made in any past life and Minako knew as much. And if her best friend did want something romantic out of her in this life, a wild thought the miko couldn't begin to hope was true, then where did that leave her? Was that something _she_ wanted?

With a groan, Rei rolled over and sat up. The rising sun was spilling its golden orange light through the paper coverings on the windows. It was a new day, and she had seven more before she'd get to see Minako again. That was seven days time to sort things out, to learn more about her past self and her past relationship and its impact to her feelings in the present - seven days time to decide what her next move would be.

Rei didn't need psychic abilities to know it was going to be a long seven days.

OOO

Rei was seething.

It was the third time in as many hours that she'd caught her three novice miko huddled in the courtyard, all crowded around one set of headphones. By now, news of Minako's Encore Finale concert had reached even the sanctuary of her shrine, and she was wondering when she'd ever hear the end of it. She cruelly imagined the looks of shock she might receive if her young protégé were to learn that she already had tickets to the main event, let alone backstage passes granted by the pop star herself.

One of the girls waved to her from across the way, "Hino-sama! Isn't Minako-chan the greatest?"

Rei frowned and furiously returned to sweeping the courtyard. Under her breath she grumbled, "Yeah, if you mean the greatest, most stubborn contradiction ever."

_Mars was seething._

_All too quick to assign her troops to separate coordinates instead of coordinating their abilities, Venus had divided them, and she didn't know she was walking into a trap. With a speed she hadn't even been aware of possessing, Mars flew across the undergrowth of a dense forest. Deliberately disobeying direct orders from her commander, she cursed under her breath. _

'_I'm not doing this for _her_. I'm doing this to prove that I have the better tactic.' Even as her stressed quads quivered and threatened to give out underneath her, the Martian senshi repeated this mantra to herself as she found yet another burst of speed. _

_As she closed in on her leader, she watched that infuriatingly beautiful blonde haired warrior as she flipped, dodged, and attacked with a golden chain that had been secured loosely around a slender waist. Slim, yet muscular legs flexed as she dashed from droid to droid. Unaware of the ambush that lay in wait, she picked off the low hanging fruit that were the decoys. _

"_Behind you!"_

_Venus spun, affecting a deadly serious defensive position, but she didn't know what to be more shocked about; that six droids were rushing her, only feet from her position, or that the flames of Mars were close enough to singe the ends of her hair, taking down the four closest to her. With no small amount of effort, she managed to recover her grace and take down the remaining two with an attack of her own._

_Mars slid in beside the other woman, placed her back to Venus', and scanned the quiet wilderness pensively._

_Venus calmed her shaking nerves and glared at Mars over her shoulder. "What are you doing?" She hissed._

"_Saving your ass! You may be our leader, but no matter how stupid you are for charging headlong into unknown territory after scattering your team to the winds, I'm not going to sit around idly if I can save you!"_

_For the first time since she'd met their stubborn leader, Mars saw Venus at a loss for words. _

_A sudden rush shook the forest. Their cover blown, the remaining ten droids didn't hesitate to rush their prey, and they came at the two senshi from all angles. Venus and Mars pressed up against one another, and without fully understanding what they were doing, combined their formidable strengths, causing the flames of Mars to mingle with the light of Venus in a massive attack that should have been far beyond their skill levels. A bright flash of light enveloped them, and when they could see again, all that was left within a twenty foot diameter was the blackened remains of the forest floor._

_Venus was suddenly acutely aware that she was still leaning against Mars' back, and made a show of standing on her own accord. "You… you had your orders!"_

"_To let you die out there if this was a real battle?" Mars spun, but faltered when she found herself toe to toe with her leader. Not finding the anger and hatred she'd been expecting, there was a glimmer in those caramel eyes that she couldn't comprehend, and it frightened her. _

_Venus' hand shook as it reached towards her second in command's face and her voice was a soft whisper when she called the others' name, "Reiko…" _

_Mars' fists clenched. She could fight any number of foes, but she didn't know how to deal with this pain inside her chest. She turned, and ran. _

OOO

The novice miko unsteadily presented a small tray that held two delicate cups. An unnoticed blush covered her face as she looked away from her superior shyly. "Tea or hot chocolate, Hino-sama?"

Barely looking up from the shrine documents she hadn't really been paying attention to in the first place, Rei nodded her thanks to the young girl. Reaching her hand for the bitter green tea she was so accustomed to, she suddenly changed course, grasping instead the small cup of chocolate.

The young miko bowed slightly before taking her leave. Rei only stared at the cup of still, brown liquid that warmed her chilled hand as though she'd never seen it before.

_Minako caught the slight twitch of Reiko's eye. "Too sweet for you?"_

_Reiko allowed herself to openly grimace. "What is it with you Venusians and chocolate?"_

"_We like our sweets." Minako said coyly. Pinning the other woman with her eyes, she leaned in and briefly captured the other woman's lips with her own before smoothly taking the cup of chocolate from Reiko's hands. With a glance over her shoulder, she winked and retreated to the balcony. _

'_It doesn't taste so bad when it's on her lips.' The Martian stared after her leader and closest friend dumbly for a moment before she could master control of her legs again in order to follow the seductive vixen._

_Swathed in the blue glow of the Earth where it broke over the horizon, Minako sat with her legs swung over the low railing that bordered the balcony outside her room, her eyes trained on the beauty of the courtyard garden. But in Reiko's eyes, the exotic flowers, the elegant foliage, even the ornate statuary of her surroundings paled in comparison to the beauty that was Venus._

_Feeling as though she were an intruder to the scene before her, Reiko hesitantly approached the other woman. Stiffly, she sat next to Minako with her legs on the opposite side of the railing. _

"_The palace is quiet tonight." She tried awkwardly._

"_Un." Minako replied. They sat in silence for a moment before she leaned back into her best friend._

_It was a cool evening, but as Reiko twined her arms comfortably around Minako's familiar waist, she realized that she had not only what she needed to keep warm, but that she simply had all she needed. _

OOO

The familiar tale of Kaguya-Hime completed, Rei closed the well worn book her mother had often read to her as a child. Having digested the fairy tale, the small group of young children that surrounded her all began talking at once, to which the miko responded with a smile.

"Is there really a Princess of the moon?"

"Of course there is." Rei replied causally.

"How do you know?"

"Because I happen to know her personally." Her smart remark was paired with a pinch to the cheek of its asker, and when this gesture brought a blush to his cheeks and laughter to the rest of the children, it was music to her ears.

_A group of blonde haired children scrambled over the grassy hill and surrounded the usually formidable red fuku clad Sailor Mars. She smiled patiently at the barrage of questions they had for her. Kneeling down to their level, she addressed each of their questions with a motherly indulgence. _

"_Aren't you the Princess of Mars?"_

"_Are you really friends with the Princess of the moon?" _

"_My big brother says you're the strongest of the senshi. I want to be just like you when I grow up!" _

_Having eventually gotten their fill, the children finally went on their way to their next activity, leaving Mars watching after them, making sure they each got down the hill uninjured. _

"_Who'd have ever thought the senshi of fire would have such a soft spot for children?" _

_That singsong voice would have made her hackles rise even just a few short weeks ago, but now, Mars didn't even bother to hide her tender smile, but only lifted an eyebrow at her companion warningly. _

_The senshi of love laughed melodically and sauntered over to her closest friend. "Oh come now, Reiko," She twined an arm around the slightly taller woman's waist and pulled her toward her to whisper in her ear, "I find it absolutely adorable."_

OOO

There was a special tub on the shrine grounds for higher ranking members of the shrine clergy. Miko though she still was, Rei had seniority on almost any other there. It was an indulgence she rarely allowed herself, but on a cold night like this, especially after several days of collecting memories that were enlightening, frightening, and enticing all at the same time, she was in need of some serious relaxation. It especially hadn't helped that the emotional rushes associated with each memory had almost always given her a burst of energy that she would siphon into her physical duties around the shrine, and as such, she hoped the soothing waters would do her aching muscles a world of good.

Then again, after being up to the wee hours of the morning trying not to think about Venus Minako or Aino Minako, not for not wanting to think about her best friend, but simply for needing some precious sleep, _anything_ would do her a world of good.

Having showered and cleansed her body first, Rei let her towel fall to the floor before she slowly slipped into the hot water, but even in this sacred place, her memories found her.

_Reiko stared in reverent worship as the Venusian princess climbed out of the tub. Resplendent in her nakedness, the jasmine scented suds slid from Minako's gleaming body as their eyes met._

_A knock came at the door, but neither woman flinched._

"_My Princess, will you or the Princess Venus be needing any help with your gowns this evening?"_

"_No. We will not require assistance." Reiko replied flatly._

"_And we won't be attending the ball, either." Minako added._

"_As you wish, my ladies."_

_Reiko raised an eyebrow at her lover's boldness and then grinned scandalously before her attention returned to where it had previously been, for Minako's silky, black hair, she decided immediately, which was done up in a tight twist at the top of her head, would be only the first thing to come undone that night._

OOO

She didn't know what she was looking for. Maybe she was trying to trigger another memory. Maybe she was just killing time, but when she found herself rummaging through her closet, she finally realized what it was that she'd been searching for.

Though it was magical in its powers, and when she'd been a senshi she'd had the ability to summon it at will, its physical presence had to reside somewhere. For the past five years, it had been housed in a non descript cardboard box in the back of her closet. In all its pink, girlish, garishness, Rei picked up her star tambourine gently, knowing that for its tacky façade, it was the host of an infinitely powerful weapon.

And that weapon had a twin that was even more powerful than her own.

She had felt that power once. When Minako had died, she had summoned her leader's weapon, and had felt Venus' sword surging to life in her left hand, resonating its power in harmony with its twin in her right. Likewise, Venus had called on Rei's sword barely a year ago, and though Rei had been unable to participate in the battle against Kuroki Mio, she had surrendered what little power she'd possessed to her leader.

She'd been with Minako in heart.

"_Wait, Mars. I want you to take me with you."_

_Mars spun and wished she hadn't, for seeing her bruised and bloodied leader lying prone on the hospital bed only cracked at her defenses. It was all she could do to keep from breaking, let alone give in to any whim Minako desired. She bit her lip and straightened. She had to be the leader now, until Minako regained her strength. They'd discussed this very scenario, but she could have never prepared herself for it._

"_No, Minako. Don't make me say it again." She barked._

_Mars flinched when she felt Minako's cold hand take her own, her fingers twining with hers briefly, but when the other woman retracted her hand, she felt a foreign object in the wake of the familiar touch. When she looked down to find Minako's tambourine held loosely in her fingers, her mouth hung open slightly._

"_Take me with you through this." Minako summoned a brave smile for her second in command, to which Mars managed a desperate nod in return. "Now go. I expect a briefing on the results of the mission at 1800 hours." _

_Mars stood tall and mastered the sideways smirk she'd learned from her leader. "I'll have my report to you shortly."_

OOO

Lining up the last number, Rei put the finishing touches on the shrine's budget report.

After a long day of shrine duties and meditation, the miko had found herself suckered into working in the office on the shrine's administrative documents for most of the night. Having capitalized on her stay, her elders had taken the opportunity for an evening out on the town, leaving her to their dirty work.

A rumble of her stomach reminded her that she'd forgotten dinner. Clicking off the lamp at the low desk, she pulled away from the warmth of the kotatsu and padded down the empty, quiet halls to the kitchen.

The options presented by the refrigerator proved as exciting as the budget report; some raw vegetables, some old rice and a carton of milk. Perhaps they should have sent her to the grocery store instead of handing her the paperwork.

With little hope, she opened the freezer. When she started laughing at its lone content; a sad, freezer burned bag of eggrolls, her first thought was that the numbers had driven her crazy.

_The long haired woman frowned at the two greasy tubes in disgust. "What is that?"_

_Her glamorous companion giggled as she sauntered into the moon palace's kitchen. "Silly, they're called eggrolls."_

"_Is it food?" Reiko asked, on the heels of her leader._

_Minako's long suffering roll of her eyes was overly dramatic. "Yes, my suspicious one."_

"_From that dreadful planet, I assume?"_

"_Oh, Reiko, the Earth isn't that bad." Minako thrust the plate at her second in command expectantly and picked up a magazine that had been left on the countertop to idly flip through its pages. _

_Her stomach was at odds with her mind, and though it did smell good, Reiko warily popped their dinner into the food warmer with a certain amount of hesitation. Quickly loosing interest, she glanced at her best friend from the corner of her eye and became transfixed as a lock of silky, black hair fell over Minako's bare shoulder, coming to rest right above her breast. _

_The senshi of love released a squeal of surprise that was hushed by familiar lips. Her magazine fell to the floor forgotten as her lover's arms slipped around her waist and she was pushed back against the edge of the counter. _

"_Someone might see us." Minako's words were a quiet whisper in Reiko's ear. It was a statement with no inflection, nor was it laced with fear. Ever practical, she was simply identifying a possibility. _

"_I," Reiko kissed the corner of Minako's mouth, "don't," she nipped Minako's bottom lip with her teeth, "care." Finally, she fully claimed possession of the other woman's lips._

_The Venusian moaned into her lover's mouth as Reiko's fingertips teased the hem of her shirt before slipping underneath to caress the smooth skin of her hip, eventually sliding up the flatness of her belly, and then, as Minako's knee came to rest between Reiko's legs, settling just below the swell of her breasts-_

_Reiko paused, her lips hovering over the nape of Minako's neck. "Do you smell something?"_

"_The eggrolls!" The two girls shouted in tandem, only to look to the food warmer to find flames consuming their dinner._

_The senshi of love acted quickly, extinguishing the fire with a towel. Wearing a wide grin on her lips, Minako tossed the incriminating evidence in the trash before returning to the awkward arms of her best friend. _

_The senshi of fire looked away somewhat sheepishly, the blush on her cheeks a toss up between embarrassment and arousal, but when Minako took Reiko's hands, still tingling with the feel of her lover's skin, and placed them where they'd been only moments before, the Martian smiled and effortlessly found her pace again._

"_That's my little pyro." Minako purred._

OOO

Rei's newfound reminiscences weren't all so enlightening or heart warming. There was something else, something darker and more confusing that continued to drive her.

After six days of trickle down memories, the miko had found herself in the fireroom on almost a daily basis, that lingering prickle of something missing, a particular vision of a wounded Venus and a warning Mars, that had driven her to long bouts of searching for answers before the flame, each time to no avail. As the acidic scent of sulfur she'd come to associate with the well-hidden memory faded from her senses once again, Rei realized she'd failed this time, too.

But the fire wasn't done with her yet.

Suddenly, she was standing under a black, starless sky, beneath the angled roof of a stadium. She was numb, unseeing, unfeeling. She could sense her friends at her back, their question was obvious; _where was their leader?_

And then, her voice was raw and not her own, and when the flames of Mars ignited her transformation, she briefly wondered if the fire of her fury would eat her alive. She wasn't so lucky. Instead, she attacked with a ferocity she hadn't been capable of harnessing ever before, and when their foes had been eliminated, she had felt herself shaking like a leaf as she fell to her knees, crying out her name,

"_Mi…na…ko!"_

Rei forcibly severed her link with the sacred flame and collapsed forward, resting on her arms. Her raven hair cascading over her shoulders, falling in her wide, frightened eyes, she wondered why the fire would return her to the single most painful moment in her life.

Minako had been the first to die in this life. Did that mean anything to their past lives?

"_Mars, retreat!"_

She felt the briefest of connections, but couldn't quite make the link.

Instead, she collapsed backwards, exhausted. Laying on her back, looking through the open shoji screen doors, the cold winter air chilled her damp skin and she cursed herself for having left the them open in the first place. Too tired to amend the situation, she settled for looking at the world from her upside down vantage point, where the setting sun was caught in the craggy claws of the barren maples. The quiet babbling of a distant koi pond eased her ragged nerves, if only a small amount.

It had been almost a week since Minako had returned to Japan, and in that time, Rei had accomplished what she'd planned to do. She'd waited, and she'd learned. She'd come to understand her past life. And although she'd regained other memories as well; ones more… mundane; memories of her comrades Jupiter and Mercury, her beloved Princess Serenity, her honorable Queen, and their teachers, Luna and Artemis, all these memories paled in comparison to the importance of the relationship that Reiko and Minako had shared.

And she'd found that the knowledge of their relationship hadn't affected her own original attraction to her best friend, the attraction she'd felt for Minako five years ago that had steadily grown ever since. The attraction she had never acted on.

But now what? So she was as, if not more, attracted to her best friend than ever. That still didn't change the fact that she didn't know what Minako wanted. She still didn't know why Minako had wanted her to remember her past life.

Her best friend had remained as unreadable in this life as she had in the past, but if she was to believe that Minako wanted the same thing she wanted, where did that leave her? For no matter how badly she seemed to long for Minako, the mere thought of letting anyone, even her best friend, get that close to her, was a frightening thought for Rei.

And now, the concert was tomorrow. But was she ready to face Minako again?

OOO

"Okay, Aino-chan! One more time from the top!"

Minako grit her teeth, plastered a smile onto her lips that didn't reach her eyes, and stepped back up to the microphone. Aside from the fact that she'd steadily gotten more and more fed up with the exhaustion of touring, of singing the same songs over and over, of dealing with the same routine in a different city all the time, this wasn't the cause of Minako's restless anxiety.

With her Encore Finale concert less than twenty four hours away, all she could think about was Hino Rei. Had she done the right thing by giving the miko space to think things through on her own? Could this be their chance to finally address their feelings or was she only setting herself up for a painful rejection?

Was her tactic working, or would it only backfire?

Only one thing was certain, and it was a conclusion Minako didn't want to accept; only time would tell.

OOO

Author's notes:

See that little "submit review" button down there/hint hint, nudge nudge/

I'm a little mixed on this chapter. Although I like each memory and think they add to the overall plot, I don't like how fragmented the overall chapter is. Actually, I think this entire chapter is just an excuse for the eggroll scene. It was one of the single most enjoyable scenes I've ever written. . In all though, I feel like you guys got jipped with this chapter, so I'll try to update again later this week. Bug me about it.

Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers, especially secretdreamer, MelsT, evrae, akira emiko and Venus Reiko, each of you provide the most insightful reviews and I'm very thankful for them. Itsumo sasaete kurete arigatou! (thank you for your continued support).

OOO

Chapter 6 Preview:

Minako smiled softly and rested her hand lightly on Rei's thigh. "It's late, and it's cold. Why don't we go back to my place and-" Minako could feel the miko's muscles quivering under hand. "Rei?"

The long haired woman finally looked her best friend in the eye. "You were right. My past is returning."

The singer fought back a gasp at hearing the one thing she'd waited to hear for what had seemed like endless years. "Then you-"

Rei forged forward, feeling that she had to get this out now or she'd never say it at all. "And I'm sorry that… you've been calling to me all this time and I've never really listened until now."

'_An apology?'_ Minako asked herself with wide eyes. The miko never apologized! The singer's mind raced and got the better of her. _'Could Rei and I be on the same page after all this time?'_

Minako's voice was a whisper. "Reiko…"


	6. Chapter 6

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 6: Fair Game  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

She was an anchovy crammed in among tens of thousands of her kind.

Her own small school crushed in around her, the familiar voices of Usagi, Makoto and Ami joined with the excessively loud screaming and chattering of the teens and twenty-somethings that had filled the stadium to its capacity. Normally, tight spaces and large crowds caused Rei a great amount of anxiety, but the anxiety she felt now wasn't associated with her surroundings at all.

The lights darkened and the stage in the middle of the arena was swathed in shadow as the canned beat in the background slowly faded. The crowd suddenly surged, their voices swelling to a decibel that Rei wondered how one human voice, even amplified, could possibly be heard above the din.

But she knew Minako's could.

She was teasing her fans, milking that tense moment before her appearance, feeding off their anticipation – and no one contributed to that anticipation more than Rei herself, who hadn't even realized she'd stopped breathing. The ache she'd held in her heart all week, knowing Minako had been in town, but needing her space to sort through her memories, to sort through her feelings, had forced her to keep her distance. Not to mention the fact that she certainly hadn't trusted herself to seek out the object of her confusion... but now, all Rei wanted in the world was to simply see Minako again.

Finally, a bright light erupted from the center of the stage, a driving, electronic beat pulsated through the stadium, and then, heralded by the voice that had gathered such an amazing crowd, Aino Minako hit the stage, launching into a track from her latest album.

Rei was suddenly grateful that their seats, though close enough to the stage to offer a perfect vantage point, weren't too close to front row. From behind the screen of about twenty rows of fans, the miko felt she could gape at the idol in unadulterated glory, for Minako's onstage persona never ceased to amaze her.

But regardless of that untouchable appearance; from the singer's intricate costume, which consisted of form fitting white vinyl booty shorts and vest, to the stage makeup that amplified her beauty for even those at the back of the stadium to see, to the rainbow of flashing lights that pulsed to the rhythm of her voice, underneath it all, she was still Aino Minako, their stubborn leader and her best friend. No matter how famous she was, or how stunning she looked, she was still her Minako.

_Her_ Minako?

Rei tore her gaze from her best friend to stare at her hands sheepishly. Had she become so comfortable with her feelings for the other woman that she could honestly consider such a thing?

Daring a glance back at the singer, looking at her from just the right angle, Rei's train of thought was derailed; for she was shocked to find a Minako she hadn't expected. Despite the energy of the song she sang, regardless of her animated dancing and emotion filled voice, the smile that Minako wore didn't quite seem to reach her listless eyes. For one who had been so enthused about reaching out to others through her music, Minako seemed terribly tired.

Rei hadn't the time to dwell on that thought any longer, because when the idol turned, a subtle act that hadn't seemed premeditated to any but Rei's eyes, the miko got the feeling that Minako was looking for something. No… searching for _someone_.

And those caramel eyes stopped wandering when they found Rei's.

Even from fifty feet away, through of sea of people, tens of thousands of fans shouting for her attention, screaming her name, Minako had found her best friend.

'_I'm overanalyzing.'_ Rei said to herself, even as she remembered to breathe. _'I'm sure every person in this half of the stadium thinks she's looking at them, stupid.'_

But then the singer raised her hand to the crowd, her index finger pointing outwards, and this time Rei knew Minako's actions, easily confused for part of the choreography, weren't meant for the crowd in general. They were meant for her. She was pointing that delicate finger at her.

At a loss, Rei frowned, and she knew it had been her petulant response that had caused the idol's glassy smile to spread into a full blown smirk, and a glimmer of true emotion finally reached those tired caramel eyes.

With an honest grin, Rei found herself returning the gesture, and for that one moment, the only two living souls in the entirety of the stadium, in the entirety of the world, were Minako and herself. And when the singer had decided she'd neglected the rest of her fans too long and trotted to the other end of the stage, Rei found herself missing her best friend's attention.

But the song was pulling to a close. Its driving beat slowed, was mixed against a tamer beat with a more melancholy sound that mingled harmony with melody, and finally, Rei identified the track as an old standard from her second album, Katagoshi ni Kinsei. It was such a ridiculously obvious song, considering Minako's senshi powers, yet it was one of Rei's favorites.

"_Before daybreak, in the clouds on Venus, the two of us found each other."_

And as her object of attention sang, Rei felt glued to her words, for suddenly, it felt like Minako was singing _to_ her.

"_Our secret love that we couldn't share with anyone, will it vanish softly into the sky?"_

And as Rei listened to the lyrics, to the emotion behind them, _really_ listened for the first time, she began to doubt the wonderland simplicity of the song being based off of a fictional situation. And although the song could have meant almost anything, with her newfound memories rising to the front of her mind, the miko was suddenly aware of the double meaning that might apply to _her, _to the Reiko of the past and her relationship with Venus Minako. She found herself hoping her suspicion might be correct, but every time Rei looked to the stage, searching for acknowledgement, she found Minako to be avoiding her gaze.

"_Awkwardly, these fleeting emotions will also be reborn in the future."_

Suddenly, Rei didn't know which Minako she was hearing – Venus Minako or Aino Minako.

"_Has anyone ever told you what an amazingly beautiful voice you have? Reiko asked, snuggling her head on her partner's lap. She was met with a tentative chuckle. _

"_If I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh?" Minako cautioned. _

_The raven haired woman's eyes squinted. "Of course."_

"_I… always wanted to be a singer."_

"_Eh?" Reiko asked, trying to picture her stubborn commander as anything other than the seemingly single minded leader of the senshi. "Hmm," she warmed up to the idea, "Venus Minako, interplanetary pop star…"_

"_Mars Reiko, you promised!" The Venusian Princess turned her nose to the air and affected a genuinely hurt expression._

_Reiko grabbed her partner's clasped hands and smiled up at her. "I'm not teasing you. Can't you take a compliment?"_

"_You… think I have the talent?" Minako asked uncertainly._

"_Of course!" Reiko enthused. It wasn't like Venus not to have the utmost confidence in herself, and she wanted to urge her partner not to let her dream go, no matter how impossible it was given their duties. "Sing me something."_

_A slight blush covered the senshi of love's cheeks. Reiko smiled and closed her eyes, waiting._

"_On our morning walks, we always held hands/ I won't forget that since someday, you'll hold me close to you/ Because I'll love you forever/ Perhaps we can find a new love, looking at Venus." _

_Suddenly, the senshi of fire couldn't breathe. She was a million miles, a million years away, yet she was still herself, hearing the same song, the same words, from the same voice. Minako was calling to her, but she wasn't answering. Why wasn't she answering? _

"_Reiko! Reiko, answer me!"_

_Mars gasped painfully and she tore herself out of her frightening premonition, and found herself back in her familiar room, her head in Minako's familiar lap. _

Rei didn't know how long she was out of it, but when she could finally feel herself again, the familiar sound of Katagoshi ni Kinsei had been replaced by another song off Minako's latest album. She was too shocked, too confused to place its name, but that was the least of her worries.

Reiko had known back then. She'd had a premonition that she'd ignore Minako's call in a different place, a different time. Had Minako been calling out to her through her music for the past five years and she'd been too deaf to hear her, to really _hear_ what she was saying?

She searched the stage and found her best friend, bouncing and singing and motioning to her fans, her microphone in the air as she effortlessly reached a particularly tough note. But she could read that tense body language, the apprehension in every movement that mimicked that which Rei felt. And as she watched, the miko knew, Minako had been dealing with the same feelings all along for the past five years.

And this time, when those caramel eyes turned back towards her, they held Rei in place, as though she'd known what the other woman had been thinking, and this time, the miko's world did stop. Motionless in a turbulent world where everything was too loud, everyone was too close, Rei was suffocating.

"I'm going to be sick."

"What?!" Usagi shouted dumbly with a wide smile.

Rei raised her voice only slightly, her eyes lost. "I said I'm… not feeling well. I have to go."

"Rei-chan!" Ami and Makoto called out.

But the miko had already squeezed herself between the rows of fans and seats that had held her captive and was making her way towards the exit. And although she was entirely too conscious of Minako's gaze on her, watching her leave even as she continued to sing, for all her confusion, all her fear, Rei couldn't turn around to face her.

OOO

'_This is always the worst part.'_ Minako lamented, that empty space after a concert when the fans have left, her manager was passed out on the couch of her dressing room, her adrenaline had worn off, and she was left with nothing but the relentless pounding of the road crew disassembling the stage.

Heading for the parking garage, the singer walked the bowels of the stadium on autopilot, her exhausted mind jumping from thought to thought incoherently.

It had been good to see the girls backstage, but Minako hadn't had the patience for playing hostess very long, especially given Rei's absence. Usagi had assured her that the miko had felt ill and had gone home, but she knew the truth. It had been all Minako could do to maintain her composure when she'd seen Rei leave the concert, and it had taken all she'd had to keep from running after her mid-song.

What had upset Rei so terribly? Perhaps she'd finally understood the real meaning and the feelings she'd weaved into her songs and was running away, repulsed?

Though she had finally reached the exit, Minako paused mid stride and leaned a shaky hand against the cold cinderblock wall for support. She felt sick. What had she done?

"Where to, Aino-san?" It was her driver who had pulled her car up to meet her that yanked the singer from her thoughts.

"Home, please." She barely managed as she fumbled with the door and collapsed into the rear seat. Though she'd never considered the rented space as her home, her apartment was the only place in this city she had left to go.

She leaned her clammy forehead against the tinted glass of the back window, her eyelids slowly shutting as they wound around the ramp of the parking garage before bursting into the brightly lit neon colored night of Tokyo. She squinted when the flashes of cameras held by hopeful fans assaulted her, but before her eyes slowly shut for good, she saw one thing that brought her exhausted body back to life.

_She_ was there.

Standing behind the crowds, her chin buried in her wool jacket in an attempt to keep warm, Rei was waiting for her. And Minako latched onto that small shred of hope she always carried, for if Rei had stayed behind, perhaps things couldn't have been as bad as she'd feared.

"Pull over." She demanded.

Her driver caught her gaze from the rear view mirror quizzically. "Excuse me?"

"Drive away from the crowd, pull over and let me out."

"But, Aino-san-"

"Just do it!" She barked, her commanding nature taking over to suit her needs.

Minako zipped her puffy parka up to her chin and pulled the brim of her baseball hat down to further conceal her identity. Having driven a sufficient distance to throw off her fans, she dashed out of the car and made her way back to stadium parking lot.

From a distance, the singer stood watching but quickly realized that her best friend was no longer where she'd last seen her. Minako smirked. It meant that Rei wanted the idol to find her.

'_Perhaps my plan hasn't backfired at all.'_ She decided. For, in the past, she hadn't been the only one to play the mouse, and she was perfectly content to play the cat, so long as Rei was her prey.

OOO

She found her just a couple blocks away.

Slightly out of breath, having run the whole way, it was all the singer could do to master her cool sense of calm when she saw the miko, illuminated by the faint light of a waxing quarter moon. Sitting patiently on a wall that bordered a small park, Rei's feet dangled a few inches from the sidewalk, and when coupled with her wrinkled brow that spoke of confusion, only enhanced her youthful image.

"There were too many people in there for me, I-"

"It's okay," Minako offered, seeing that her friend was having trouble expressing herself, and not wanting to get her to flustered… yet, "I understand. Sometimes the crush of people gets to me, too, and I'm supposed to be used to it."

The miko offered the idol a thankful smile, and a small amount of tension was released from her posture. "I still don't know how you do it."

Minako shrugged and, with an effortless hop supported by her right hand to spin her body around, joined Rei on the wall. "Sometimes, I don't know how I do it either."

Catching the look of concern the other woman gave her, a look that told her that her best friend might have seen more than she'd wanted her to, Minako decided to steer their conversation in a more important direction. "So, did you miss me last week?"

This earned a willful snort from the miko, who crossed her arms over her chest indignantly. "Don't flatter yourself."

The quiet air was laced with gentle laughter and the two women sat shoulder to shoulder in silence. The heels of Minako's sneakers bounced playfully against the wall as she fought the pull of the hypnotizing headlights that danced off the hedges thrown by the traffic in the distance. Meanwhile, Rei stared at her hands. For as much as she simply wanted to bask in the comfortable position she'd found herself in, she was unsure of what to say, feeling that any explanation of her emotions would be inadequate to explain how confused she felt, how very on the edge she was between pulling her best friend closer to her, and simply pushing her away.

"I think I-"

"This past week I-"

The two chuckled somewhat awkwardly, and before they could get caught in an endless cycle of 'you go first,' Rei beat the singer to the punch. "Please, go ahead."

Minako smiled softly and rested her hand lightly on Rei's thigh. "It's late, and it's cold. Why don't we go back to my place and-" Minako could feel the miko's muscles quivering under her hand. "Rei?"

The raven haired woman finally looked her best friend in the eye. "You were right. My past is returning."

The singer fought back a gasp at hearing the one thing she'd waited to hear for what had seemed like endless years. "Then you-"

Rei forged forward, feeling that she had to get this out now or she'd never say it at all. "And I'm sorry that… you've been calling to me all this time and I've never really listened until now."

'_An apology?'_ Minako asked herself with wide eyes. The miko never apologized! The singer's mind raced and got the better of her. _'Could Rei and I be on the same page after all this time?'_

Minako's voice was a whisper. "Reiko…"

"No!" Rei severed eye contact with her best friend, her voice hoarse. She slid off the wall, standing shakily on feet that threatened to run. To hear Minako call her by her past incarnation's name was too much for her. It was cracking her defenses, and she knew that if she wasn't careful, she'd give in to desires that she didn't fully understand.

"No… don't call me that," Her voice was a pained whisper, "please."

Seeing Rei so fragile, and only wanting to comfort her, Minako pushed her luck. Sliding quietly off the wall, she stood in front of her best friend and slowly reached out to her. Rei refused to meet her eyes, even when the warm skin of Minako's hand cupped her chilled cheek, but the singer couldn't help but smile softly as the miko leaned into her touch.

Rei stood frozen, her dark eyes clouded with an obvious mixture of doubt and desire, but Minako advanced ever so slowly, until their breath mingled together in the cold night air. With Rei's head titled to the left, Minako's titled to the right, it felt like they stood there forever; both the cold and being out in the open forgotten as each of them waited for the other to make the next move.

The miko shivered, and that very action nearly caused their lips to touch, but it was enough to break her from her trance. No matter how much she wanted to kiss her best friend, she was still afraid. She had grown considerably more comfortable with her feelings for her Minako, but she needed more time.

Just a little more time.

Rei stumbled backwards, and seeing the hurt, the disappointment, in Minako's caramel eyes, she clutched her hands to her chest for fear that her heart would leap from it.

Wide eyed and unable to think of a single thing to say to redeem herself, Rei simply turned and ran.

OOO

The singer wasn't sure how long she stood there after the miko had fled, but she didn't really care.

Finally, her criteria had been met. After five long years, Rei was fair game and she was now free to pursue her. Between her words and her actions, the miko had told her everything she wanted to know without her actually saying it.

She'd regretted scaring Rei, pushing her over the edge like that and causing her to run away, but she didn't regret her actions. Just like Mars Reiko, Hino Rei would return to the flame like a moth, just like she used to when they had been senshi years ago.

Yet, she had seen the worry, the fear, in the miko's dark eyes - the sign that she was still coming to terms with what she'd learned and how she felt. Minako remembered having gone through that awkward phase, alone and afraid five years ago. She wanted to be there for her best friend, but knowing that she was the cause of those emotions, she acknowledged that it would be a careful balancing act on her part.

But worst of all… now that Minako had finally held Rei so close, she felt terribly lonely in her best friend's absence.

A chill ran down Minako's spine, no doubt a combination of the cold night air and the intensity of her feelings. A quick check of her watch snapped her back to reality. Her alarm clock would be ringing in only a few hours.

With a smile, Minako took to her heels, heading towards her apartment with a bounce in her step. After all, regardless of her worries, the singer had a lot to look forward to, for starting tomorrow, Hino Rei was fair game.

OOO

Authors notes:

Ah hah, sorry for the tease with Rei running away, but you know the wait will only make it that much sweeter. Stick with me and please, let me know your thoughts via that neat little 'review button' down there!

Regarding my translation of the first verse of Katagoshi ni Kinsei; you might notice it's just a little different than most translations you've seen. I've only studied Japanese for about three years, but this is the way I read the passage, and I'm sticking to it.

Now, a huge thanks to my all reviewers, and in particular:  
Venus Reiko, for the comment that Chapter 5 was sexy, thank you. I was totally aiming for that and am glad that someone felt that way.  
Evrae, as always, thanks for your insightful review. Fun, happy flashback scenes are great, but I completely agree with you; they need to be balanced with ones that aren't so cliché and overused. It's very easy to depend on fluff to pull readers in, but I always aim for balance.  
ThirdEarth, thanks for thinking about the plot ahead. I hope you'll like where I'm taking Rei's hidden memory of Mars and Venus – more on that in the next chapter.

Preview, Chapter 7:

The singer grinned evilly. "While 'A Day in the Life of Minako' may have been an interesting diversion, don't think I've forgotten our purpose here. Just because my work interrupted our day doesn't mean you've gotten off the hook for last night. You still have some explaining to do."

Rei snapped her mouth shut, suddenly finding the sidewalk much more interesting to look at. But she managed to quell the butterflies in her stomach. She was ready for this. Being like this all day; being with Minako, sharing, learning, she felt she'd been given what she needed to feel comfortable with taking the chance of letting Minako get closer to her. She finally knew it would be okay to let this one woman, who meant so much to her, close to her heart.

And when she'd gathered the courage to look back into Minako's eyes, she realized something else, first. _'When did we start holding hands?'_ She wondered, for Minako's fingers no longer gripped her jacket sleeve, but were laced between her own fingers snugly.


	7. Chapter 7

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 7: Finding Answers  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

The image of a wounded Venus had plagued her dreams.

The night before, in the precious hour of sleep she'd gotten after fleeing from Minako, Rei had been close to uncovering a piece of the vision that had evaded her ever since it had triggered the memories of her past life almost two weeks prior. But the vision had slipped through the miko's fingers once more, and after she'd completed her morning duties, she'd found herself in the fireroom trying to track it down again.

'_There must be a link,'_ she reasoned, _'between that past… nightmare and my present life.'_

She certainly had enough on her mind, but considering the way she'd left things with her best friend the night before, and especially considering the rampant emotions she'd been dealing with for said woman, this diversion wasn't entirely unwanted, either. Knowing what she _should_ be thinking about, now that she was equipped with the knowledge that Minako wanted her the same way she'd wanted her best friend all these years, she should be thinking about whether or not she was ready to let Minako into her heart as something other than as her friend…

But a familiar voice snarled at her,

"_You should not be here." _

And as Sailor Mars danced at the edge of Rei's consciousness, she grasped the diversion instead. This time, she would find the vision. Closing her eyes, the miko concentrated, and surrendered herself to the flames.

OOO

With her best friend having been training in the mountains of Kyoto for the past three years, it had been a long time since Aino Minako had climbed the stone stairs of the Hikawa Shrine, but she still remembered each and every step by heart. A mischievous smirk teased her lips as she reached the top. She doubted the miko would expect her impromptu visit, and that made the occasion all that much more enjoyable. She wondered what kind of havoc she might be able to wreak on the shrine maiden's quiet morning.

Pulling the brim of her baseball hat lower over her eyes, the idol tiptoed around the courtyard. Keeping an eye out for the seemingly ever present novice miko, she slipped onto one of the breezeways and headed down the wooden walkway as quietly as possible. She managed to stumble across Rei quickly, catching a glimpse of the dark haired woman's kneeling form through a slightly opened shoji screen door.

Minako stood outside that door for some time. She'd never seen her best friend at work before the flames, and from the three quarter view granted her, she stared in awe at Rei's intense concentration and stiff posture, from her squinted shut eyes to the thin sheen of sweat that beaded across her forehead.

Fearing being caught by a passerby, the singer finally slipped inside and, thankful for her stealthy abilities; for to avoid detection by the extra sensory miko was quite the accomplishment, she quietly slid the paper door fully shut behind her. Resting on her knees at the back of the room, Minako maintained her distance, content to simply observe this never before seen side of the miko.

But when Rei gasped, her eyes squinting shut even tighter, her knuckles turning white, Minako wondered what the psychic was seeing, for she seemed so very frightened.

OOO

Rei gasped. The blood covered ground that was sticky beneath her boots, the rocky outcrop that dug into the exposed skin of her back, the biting stench of sulfur that stole her breath, the howling winds - she knew this place. She knew it in this life, through this elusive memory she'd finally captured, but she knew it in her past life, too. Her wounded commander, hidden from view by the stern and forbidding mirror image of herself, was just beyond her reach. Mars was _guarding_ her leader, but why?

"Venus… is she going to be alright? I have to know-"

Sailor Mars took a step forward. Her hands balled into fists and her words came out short and clipped. "You must leave this place now. It's for your own good. You should not have seen as much as you have."

"But-"

Sailor Mars' brows met. She almost snarled. "Leave! Now!"

The winds howled and the mists that lingered behind Sailor Mars rushed towards Rei. The miko sensed that the frigid blackness that her past self was commanding would sever her link with the memory, but before it could envelop her, Rei lunged forward, grasping the senshi of fire by the wrist.

Sailor Mars was caught off guard. The mists retreated. Those red tinged eyes widened with surprise, but then squinted with anger. "You weak representation of my reincarnated self," she spat, "what are you doing?"

"Finding answers." Rei shot back coldly. "Now step aside."

"You petulant child, don't you know what's best for you?" Mars threatened.

In the senshi's hurtful words, in her cold demeanor, Rei saw herself. _'No,_' she decided, _'my younger self.'_ She'd matured past this frightened woman. But what had made the Reiko of the past turn like this? The memories that Rei had recovered had shown Mars as having developed into a calm and confident warrior.

Sailor Mars flinched when Rei's hand came to rest over her heart, and the miko drew in a shuddering breath as she opened a connection between the personas of her past and present.

Never had Rei felt such raw emotion, such intense pain, pain that burned to the touch, pain that burned hotter than the flames of Mars itself. And through it all, as she searched Sailor Mars' familiar emotions and memories, the only explanation, the single scene that she could see in the woman's heart, was the image of the wounded Venus, lying broken on the battlefield.

'_It hurts!'_

OOO

Keeping an eye on the distressed miko, Minako frowned. Rising from her knees, she crouched on her feet, at the ready to dash to her best friend at a moment's notice.

But what would she do? What could she do? Rei was obviously in the throes of some kind of vision.

'_What if it's a vision from our past?'_ Minako asked herself, and then wondered what could have produced such a troubling response. She worried her lower lip restlessly. _'Maybe she hasn't remembered _everything _yet.'_

But when the miko's body began trembling uncontrollably, and tears began to course down the smooth skin of Rei's cheeks, the singer couldn't hold herself back anymore.

Minako was across the room in two seconds, wrapping her arms around Rei, and pulling her back towards her body.

OOO

A soothing torrent doused the flames of pain that coursed through the link between Sailor Mars and Rei, but still, the miko did not release her hold on her mirror image. Though she felt weak and confused, wondering at the source that had tamed the unbridled fear Mars had shown her, she felt a need to keep the connection open even as the last trace of fear and hopelessness vanished from the long haired warrior.

Finally, the senshi of fire's eyes slid closed, and to Rei's amazement, the smallest of smiles found her parched lips.

"It's been so long since I've felt this." The quiet whisper barely reached Rei's ears.

The miko tilted her head slightly. "Felt what?"

"You mean you really don't know?" The cold frown returned to Mars' face. "You really are still a child."

Rei frowned in confusion, but then, the warmth was too much, enveloping her fully. She shut her eyes, and surrendered to it.

OOO

She was surrounded by warmth. It was behind her, around her. A soothing, rhythmic beat that originated from behind her slowed her own heart rate and before she realized it, her heartbeat fell into synch with it. The beat seemed tied to gentle puff of warm air, almost a breath that hers soon joined. A subtle scent of jasmine teased her sense of smell. It was a familiar scent, but in that space between dreams and wakefulness, between her vision and consciousness, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Finally opening her eyes, Rei found herself looking sideways at the familiar caramel gaze of her best friend, and that's when she realized she was surrounded by Minako; held in an embrace from behind, and sitting on the floor of the fireroom.

She could have reacted; freaked out, yelled, or pushed Minako away, but Rei had been pulled into those caramel pools, and for just a second, she tried to comprehend what she saw in them, what she _felt_ in them. Had it really been Minako who has eased herself and Sailor Mars? Had those emotions that had neutralized those of the fearful senshi of fire really been hers?

Rei was met with her mirror image's testy voice as a reply, _"You really are still a child."_

Minako granted Rei a gentle smile and the long haired woman blinked her eyes repeatedly. The miko found that she didn't know if she was coming out of a dream or falling into one, but the last thing she realized was that she wasn't at all alarmed by having found herself in such a position as she may have expected herself to be. And with that realization, the immediacy of the vision she'd chased, even Mars' words, seemed entirely less important.

"I think we need to talk." Minako's words were a reverent whisper in the small room, but given the closeness of their bodies, they were felt as much as heard by the other woman.

Rei nodded slowly, her gaze still stuck on her best friend's, safe in knowing that Minako must be referring to their present, to the awkwardness of the night before, and not the past memory she had been chasing. Though she would have been content to sit there forever, content in Minako's warm embrace, she owed the singer answers, answers she'd have to reveal sooner or later.

But beyond the occasional pop and crackle of the sacred flame, Rei could hear the chattering voices of the junior miko, and this set her on edge. "This probably isn't the best place," she hazarded, acutely aware of the small shiver that ran through Minako's body as her warm breath hit the other woman's neck.

"I have a car waiting on the street," Minako offered flatly.

Rei lifted an amused eyebrow. "A little confident, are we?" Her verbal barb was subdued, half hearted; she wasn't looking for a fight.

The singer smirked. She had come prepared, and through a pregnant pause, she looked into Rei's dark eyes hopefully, "Will you come with me?"

Their eyes implored each other at Minako's gentle question; unassuming, undemanding, she was leaving the decision in Rei's hands. Finally, the woman in question nodded, her head still resting against the singer's collarbone.

"Just let me change." She agreed, motioning to her miko garb.

Minako was elated at having achieved the precise response she'd hoped for, and Rei was torn between the fear of opening up to her best friend and the sudden need she felt to be as physically and as mentally close to the confusing woman as possible. But still, neither woman made an effort to get up, neither wanting to end their seemingly perfect moment.

Reluctantly, the idol finally released her arms from around the miko, but when Rei didn't jump away from her as she'd half expected, and only continued to sit there, still leaning into her chest, still maintaining eye contact with her, Minako smiled, and when Rei returned that smile, the singer slipped her arms around the miko once more.

'_Just a couple more minutes.'_

OOO

Rei fought to keep a blush and a goofy grin from her face as Minako energetically bounced down the shrine stairs. Occasionally looking back at the miko over her shoulder, a wide grin tugged at Minako's lips as she eyed the spot where they were physically connected - the singer having a playful grip on the cuff of the miko's wool jacket.

But when they made it to the street, that energetic bounce, that carefree smile disappeared; for standing in front of Minako's black sedan was the obviously impatient Saitou Sugao.

"Shacho?" Minako asked.

"Minako-chan!" He wailed, rushing towards his protégé, but at the recognition of the woman she clung to, he awkwardly halted his approach.

Rei smirked. Minako's manager had remembered the time they had last met, when she had drummed him out of Makoto's engagement party, insistent that he not infringe on the small amount of time the pop star could spare away from work. The man wavered a moment, but then deciding his purpose was greater than Rei's, ushered both women into the waiting car, hopped in behind them, and slammed the door shut.

The car pulled away from the curb before Minako could even protest. She sent an apologetic, helpless look to Rei, who simply shrugged it off. This time, the least she could do was wait to see what was so important as to interrupt their date.

'_Outing.' _Rei reminded herself sharply.

"Mou, Mi-na-ko! You should be in the studio cutting your new record right now!" Saitou whined, carefully avoiding eye contact with the unreadable miko for fear that she'd grow two heads and bite him in half. Rei, for her part, did her best not to frighten him further. Still unsure of continuing the conversation with Minako that she'd run away from the night before, and simply content to be in her best friend's presence, she could be patient with the effeminate man. If just this once.

The nasally voice of Saitou faded as Rei examined Minako in a critical sideways glance. In those caramel eyes, the miko saw a well hidden exhaustion that had surfaced as soon as her manager had pulled out a stack of paper for her to examine. She noticed the subtle slump of the singer's shoulders and the tight line her lips made. And as she had suspected the night before at the concert, she could see once more that Minako was taking on more than she could handle, that the years of performing and being in the public eye were finally getting to her.

And Rei was unhappy with what she saw.

OOO

Minako's run in with work ended up lasting most of the day. The miko had been dragged to the singer's office in downtown Tokyo where she'd bared witness to Minako's hectic work life. But now they found themselves sitting across from each other in two large easy chairs, unwinding in a small coffee shop along the Juuban strip as the last rays of the setting sun cast a warm orange glow through the smoked windows.

'_She'd have to have ordered hot chocolate.'_ Rei mused, trying to shelve Reiko's memories of a similar event as she palmed her cup of tea. Resorting to only stolen glances, it took a great amount of effort not to stare as the former senshi of love slowly lifted her oversized mug to her lips.

"I'm sorry about today. You must have been bored." The singer said offhandedly.

"I can't say it was exciting. For either of us." Rei looked at Minako meaningfully. "Why is Saitou-san hounding you about your new album so much? Your encore concert was only yesterday, and it's not like it wasn't a big hit; the media won't stop talking about it. Do you really need to start recording a new album so soon?"

The singer sighed. She could put on a show for the entire world, but her best friend had seen right through her, as always. "It wasn't always like this. I used to love my job. But with each new album you release, each tour you wrap up, the public is always looking for the next best thing. It's… increasingly stressful."

"Sounds like hell." The miko commented between shallow sips of tea.

The singer smacked her lips at her best friend until she realized that the miko hadn't spoken out of sarcasm, but Minako still felt the need to defend herself. "I guess this all sounds pretty silly to you, huh? I mean, I have this total dream job, but it can be such a drag."

Rei shrugged almost noncommittally. "I think we all question our career choices at times."

Minako arched an eyebrow. "Even the great Rei?"

"Especially the great Rei." The miko returned evenly before sipping her tea. How could she explain to Minako the reasons behind the decision about her career that she'd yet to present to her elders? She couldn't, not yet.

Finally, she found something she could settle on. "Let's just say that my career isn't turning out quite the way I thought it would myself." Minako looked to her questioningly, and Rei felt the need to shift the topic of conversation back where it belonged, "So, tell me more about the trouble with your career."

The singer read Rei's feint but decided to roll with it for the time being. Conversations with Rei were generally a game of picking and choosing battles, and she knew she could come back to that topic later.

"The only thing that keeps me interested at all anymore is my charity division. Well, I mean, it's under my name, and I barely get to do anything to help with it, but when I do, it makes all the hard work I do seem worth it."

Rei sat her cup down, her fingers splayed around its rim as she leaned across the coffee table that separated them. "I remember hearing about that. After we…" she stumbled for a moment, looking for an appropriate word so as not to stir up any other uncomfortable conversation, "after we _came back_, after Usagi righted the world, you set up a charity for children with brain tumors, right?"

Minako crossed her legs and also leaned forward, mimicking Rei's action and leaving very little space between them. "Yeah. People were a little surprised, seeing as how I wasn't even suffering with the disease when we all… came back, but the organization was well received and its done a lot of good raising money for research and rehabilitation, not to mention how fulfilling it feels to visit patients in the hospital who are sick with the disease."

The miko had recognized that spark of excitement that had returned to the singer's eyes. Charity works were definitely something she could relate to. "So why don't you just focus on your charity division and put your singing career on hold for a while, indefinitely, if that's what you want."

Pausing blankly, Minako looked at Rei as if her best friend really had grown two heads. Could life really be so simple as to follow her own heart? She chuckled a little. And when Rei looked to her in question, the singer set her cup down, stood, and put her jacket on.

"Let's go for a walk." The willful idol tossed the instruction over her shoulder and slipped towards the door, thoroughly expecting her former second in command to follow.

The miko had to fumble to catch up, but with Rei on Minako's heels, the two friends exited the coffee shop onto the busy Juuban sidewalk. The sun having set, the neon light of the city night illuminated their crystallized puffs of breath that hung in the air expectantly.

The rush of salarymen filing from their jobs in a race to the railways crushed around the two, stifling Rei as she fought to keep up with the singer in the bustle. But when Minako's hand once again found the sleeve of her heavy jacket and pulled her next to her, the normally standoffish miko breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, being next to the other woman again, the world seemed to slow down to a more tolerable pace.

And that was when Rei noticed the slight smirk on Minako's lips. "Just what's so funny?" She demanded,  
"and where are we going, anyway?"

The singer grinned evilly. "While 'A Day in the Life of Minako' may have been an interesting diversion, don't think I've forgotten our purpose here. Just because my work interrupted our day doesn't mean you've gotten off the hook for last night. You still have some explaining to do."

Rei snapped her mouth shut, suddenly finding the sidewalk much more interesting to look at. But she managed to quell the butterflies in her stomach. She was ready for this. Being like this all day; being with Minako, sharing, learning, she felt she'd been given what she needed to feel comfortable with taking the chance of letting Minako get closer to her. She finally knew it would be okay to let this one woman, who meant so much to her, close to her heart.

And when she'd gathered the courage to look back into Minako's eyes, she realized something else, first. _'When did we start holding hands?'_ She wondered; for the singer's fingers no longer gripped her jacket sleeve, but were laced between her own fingers snugly.

The singer stopped, causing the distracted miko to press against her. Rei looked up at the upscale apartment building they'd stopped in front of in question.

"My apartment…" Minako said quietly, afraid her voice alone would cause Rei to flee, "will you… come up?"

A slight blush on her cheeks, Rei met Minako's questioning, hopeful gaze, and with a squeeze of her hand around Minako's, she led them into the building.

OOO

Author's notes:

I promise, in the next chapter, they'll finally talk things through! This chapter was largely set up, but also important for Rei to feel more comfortable with her emotions. Trust me when I say it'll make the next chapter all that much more… rewarding.

So… what did you like? What did you dislike? What do you want to see next? (As if that wasn't obvious!) Please review!

As always, a special thanks to my reviewers for last chapter, especially:  
Sailor Doc: thanks again! Reviews from other authors, especially from one so esteemed, is quite the complement. I hope to continue to meet your expectations!  
Evrae: thanks for the 'inner fangirl' comment, that totally made my day.  
ThirdEarth/Chatterbox: as to my updates, I tend to try to write most or all of my chapters of a fic before I start posting. It generally means that before I post, I've spent 6 or so months writing, depending on the length of the fic, and it's how I avoid leaving people hanging. It can be a curse too, I have several stories sitting on jump drives half finished that are pretty good, but that I lost steam to write (I've got to get back to a Haruka/Michiru AU fic that was turning out nicely). It also means I have 3 other Rei/Minako stories in progress that may or may not see the light of day if I can focus on one of them and finish it!  
I'm also glad that everyone enjoys my previews. Again, it's another advantage to already having the story written that I can provide it for the readers!

OOO

Preview, Chapter 8:

It was a clock that eventually disrupted them; it's not so subtle chime reminding the women that it was midnight. The miko moaned her displeasure. "It's going to be a rough morning."

"It doesn't have to be," Minako responded with a slight smirk. When Rei frowned at her, she continued playfully, "you could just stay the night here you know."

Rei opened her mouth to protest, but then realized she didn't really want to. However, still having an image to uphold, she looked away haughtily, stole her hand from Minako's own, and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know. I'll have to get up pretty early. As a miko, I _do_ have responsibilities to the shrine."

Playing along, Minako snorted and stuck her nose in the air. "Well then, I'll just call my driver to bring you back to the shrine. I certainly don't want the world's best miko to disrupt her duties."

The two women chuckled, looked at each other, and broke into a sudden fit of laughter. Finally, Rei acquiesced. "I'll stay." She said, her lilting voice laced with laughter.

Minako smirked at her best friend. "Okay. I'll be sure not to defile the shrine maiden _tonight_ then." She said offhandedly.

The miko had the decency to feign offence at the singer's jest.


	8. Chapter 8

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 8: Someone to Believe In  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

"Coffee?" The question hung in the air awkwardly as Minako carried their coats to the closet.

"No, thank you."

"Tea?"

"No." The reply was distracted as Rei's dark eyes surveyed the singer's apartment – much like the hotel room the miko had seen in a vision, the apartment was sparsely decorated and looked largely unlived in. But then, she guessed that being an international star, 'home' must be hard to define.

"Water?"

Rei glanced at her best friend firmly. "No, Minako. I'm fine." The curt response carried dual meanings and Rei was relieved to see Minako relax slightly, but then, the shoe was put on the other foot.

The singer crossed the space between them and led Rei to where two oversized easy chairs sat catty corner to each other against sliding glass doors that led to a dark balcony. Rei sat stiffly, her hands in her lap, her legs pressed tightly together as Minako took the seat opposite her, their knees just barely touching.

"I want to know what you remember… about the past." In her simple statement, Minako couldn't keep the hopefulness from her wavering voice.

Rei inhaled slowly. Suddenly, her hands became terribly interesting, "I remember the Silver Millennium. I remember the planetary alliance, the moon kingdom, our planets. I remember our princess, our queen, Mercury, and Jupiter. I remember Venus Minako and Mars Reiko." She hesitated. "I remember… I remember _us_."

The miko had always possessed a talent for being hard to read, but Rei's firm jaw and hard eyes sent the singer the wrong message.

"And are the memories that terrible?" Minako choked.

Minako's pained voice had made Rei's stomach twist, but also gave her the confidence she needed to push forward, to quell Minako's fears, for though it was her seriousness that had scared Minako, it was Minako she was serious _about_.

"No, the memories aren't terrible at all."

The singer's head shot up and imploring eyes sought Rei's hopefully. It was just like her best friend; normally vague and avoidant, she could be also blunt and confident when she knew what she wanted._ 'So what does she want?'_ Minako asked herself.

"I've come to understand and accept Reiko's memories, but I'm still learning what they mean in relation to my own feelings." Rei explained.

Examining Minako's confused expression, Rei understood she'd have to spell things out for the singer. She collected herself; it was all or nothing now. "Minako, I didn't need Mars Reiko's memories to become attracted to you. _That_ happened long ago, though I didn't know what to do about it then, and quite frankly, I don't know what to do about it now, either."

That age old hope blossomed within Minako's chest, but knowing the lines of communication would flow more freely between them in a comfortable argument, she latched onto Rei's aggressiveness, shooting back with a confession of her own, "And you think I feel any less for you? I may have never verbalized it, but my feelings for you should be obvious, both back then, and now."

Rei took the bait and shot up from her seat. She errantly tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind an ear as she began to pace to the living room, wearing a track through the crisply vacuumed carpet. "Well, I don't know where you stand on the division between yourself and Venus Minako, but knowing how blindly you were tied to your past five years ago, I should hope you aren't simply following your past memories and emotions instead of your own."

Minako also rose, her body tense, her eyes following her best friend's movements nervously. "I do believe it was _you_ who taught me how to live as Aino Minako, Rei. I'd think that after that lesson, I'd know that my feelings for you were my own and _not_ merely a reflection of Venus Minako's feelings."

All movement ground to a halt. The miko and the singer held a level stare with each other from across the room, and in Minako's serious gaze, Rei found the truth she'd hoped to find in the other woman's honest words. And it was then that her mind took her back to a time, five years ago, when, standing on a stage in front of a modest crowd, she had sung a song from her heart, a song that had been made for her;

'_God doesn't exist, but I want to believe in someone.'_

And as Rei examined the hopeful look of her best friend, the once jaded miko thought, _'Perhaps… I have found someone to believe in. Perhaps I can believe in _Minako_.' _But when the idol's melodious laughter broke their silence, Rei felt her hackles rise.

"What's so funny?" The miko barked.

"I get the feeling that neither one of us wants to believe the other." Minako said with an air of defeat.

Rei's fists clenched. "Well, with how devoted you were to the past-"

"I'll admit, I was obsessed with the past," Minako's seriousness returned with a vengeance, but now her features softened as slightly as her voice, "but… knowing you won't _have_ a future will do that to you."

The singer eyed Rei, who looked very much like a child scolded for having forced such an explanation from her, and a small smile touched the idol's lips. Only a handful of paces brought her in front of her best friend, and allowing the miko barely an inch of personal space between them, she reached up, her soft fingers gently brushing Rei's long bangs back away from her eyes.

"How's this for proof," Minako offered, even as she quelled the shakiness in her hands and in her voice, "I'll have you know that Aino Minako fell for Hino Rei before she even _knew_ she was Sailor Mars." The singer smirked at the look of shock that sparkled in Rei's eyes, at that adorable little 'o' left by Rei's trembling lips. "Yes, that day at the church."

The tables were being turned and the singer knew she was gaining the upper hand by proving herself in an undisputable way. "So there." She added petulantly, raising her eyebrow when Rei snorted. She stepped away slightly, and was pleased to note that Rei forged forward, as though she yearned to reclaim the space that had grown between them.

"Besides, how am I supposed to believe _you_ when you claimed so vehemently back then that the past meant nothing to you?" The accusatory question, purposely designed to goad Rei on, was tossed over Minako's shoulder casually.

Rei winced but puffed herself up. "I may not have had my memories of the past life at the time, but that didn't mean that I didn't feel for you. If you knew anything about me, you'd have known that I was fighting for the future back then! I've spent the majority of my life being raised on the values of Shinto dogma, I was taught to work hard for the present and find happiness within this life, not the past that we couldn't change. _That's_ why I wanted you to try the surgery. I didn't want to lose you in _this_ life!"

The intensity left by the miko's unusual outburst resulted in a stressed silence that hung heavily in the room. Minako surrendered first. She broke eye contact to look away shyly; her proud stance deflated, and she collapsed onto the couch, defeated. "I… I'm sorry."

A sigh accompanied the miko as she too gave in, also seeking solace in the couch, sitting shoulder to shoulder with her best friend.

Everything had been laid on the line, from feelings that had been born five years ago to clearing up reasons behind their actions that had remained unspoken for all that time. It was an abridged version, but it was obvious that they both knew they had nearly reached their limit, and by a mutual agreement, they had retreated. Much had been left unsaid, but it was too much to tackle at one time. Maybe even several times.

This time, Rei noticed Minako's quiet laugh carried an ironic lilt to it. "Now what?"

The singer looked at her hands where she idly steepled them together. "I'm just thinking of what an idiot I was." She said softly.

The miko couldn't help but share the sentiment with a snort of her own. "I don't think I was any better, really." She admitted.

This time, the silence that fell between them was a comfortable one. And when Minako leaned her head on Rei's shoulder, the dark eyed woman couldn't help but smile warmly, finally relieved to have gotten it all out to the one and only person who mattered, and to have finally understood, in no uncertain terms, that they really had felt the same for each other. That they _still_ felt the same for each other. But there were still questions, a nagging foreboding that lingered, and Rei tensed when she remembered the cold eyes of the Sailor Mars of her vision.

Minako raised her head in question, "What is it?"

Rei frowned thoughtfully. "I just want to know; why now, five years after the fact, am I remembering what our past personas shared?"

"Maybe…" the singer looked at her best friend for a few moments, composing the right words, "maybe there was something about your past, beyond our relationship, that you weren't ready to deal with back then."

The gears in the miko's head continued to turn and she nodded slightly. "There _is_ one memory that evades me, one memory that leaves me uneasy that I can never pin down, no matter how hard I try."

Minako nodded, remembering when she'd found Rei in the fireroom earlier that morning, and she could only guess that whatever vision had disturbed her so greatly then, had been the memory she spoke of. And though she had her suspicion of what that memory might be, she shied away from the mere thought of it.

"Besides," Minako added quickly, steering the direction of their conversation to marginally safer territory, "maybe we weren't ready to try for a relationship back then, regardless of how we may have felt for each other. We were young then, Rei. We were going different places in our lives, we had different goals. We were too immature, too stubborn to talk… about how we felt. Even if something between us _could_ have happened, it probably wouldn't have worked out."

"What? Are you proposing we try for a relationship _now_, Aino Minako?" Despite Rei's attempt at casual indifference, her voice had betrayed her hopefulness. She could feel the color rising to her cheeks and she fidgeted nervously under Minako's unreadable gaze.

When Minako's hand rested reassuringly on Rei's own, the miko once again looked at her. For all the assertiveness Rei had displayed, now that the initial rush of raw emotions had worn off, Minako knew not to push her.

The singer smiled warmly and squeezed her best friend's hand, "I'm not suggesting anything other than that you take your time and figure out what you want, Rei. But know this; I've felt this way for you for a long time, and I can keep on waiting, if that's what you need."

At a loss for words, Rei could only nod thankfully and match Minako's strength. Turning her palm upwards, she squeezed the singer's hand back and laced their fingers together.

It was a clock that eventually disrupted them; it's not so subtle chime reminding the women that it was midnight. The miko moaned her displeasure. "It's going to be a rough morning."

"It doesn't have to be," Minako responded with a slight smirk. When Rei frowned at her, she continued playfully, "you could just stay the night here you know."

Rei opened her mouth to protest, but then realized she didn't really want to. However, still having an image to uphold, she looked away haughtily, stole her hand from Minako's own, and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know. I'll have to get up pretty early. As a miko, I _do_ have responsibilities to the shrine."

Playing along, Minako snorted and stuck her nose in the air. "Well then, I'll just call my driver to bring you back to the shrine. I certainly don't want the world's best miko to disrupt her duties."

The two women chuckled, looked at each other, and broke into a sudden fit of laughter. Finally, Rei acquiesced. "I'll stay." She said, her lilting voice laced with laughter.

Minako smirked at her best friend. "Okay. I'll be sure not to defile the shrine maiden _tonight_ then." She said offhandedly.

The miko had the decency to feign offence at the singer's jest.

O O O

A few hours, a few 'what if's', and entirely too many 'do you remember when's' later, Minako and Rei were huddled next to each other at the kitchen table. Fatigue was written across both their faces; the miko's eyes kept shutting on themselves and the singer's chin continually slipped off her palm. A pot of tea that had long gone cold sat between them. Their voices and their brains too tired to continue, the two women finally settled into silence.

"Shall we go to… bed?" Minako's suggestion hung in the air awkwardly. She was pleased to note Rei nod her affirmation, perhaps too tired at this point to argue or even to be shy. It had been a long day for both of them, after all.

As one couldn't sleep in outerwear, a change of costume had been previously arranged, and donning matching grey sweats - obviously made for Minako, as Rei seemed almost to be waiting for the next tide in hers - the two women padded back to the main bedroom in single file order.

The apartment was large, Minako had explained, but the only room besides the living area and the kitchen she'd bothered furnishing was the master bedroom, and so the two women found themselves sitting on opposite sides of the lavishly decorated king sized bed, distinctly avoiding each other's drooping gazes.

'_It isn't like we haven't been to Usagi's slumber parties. We've even shared the same futon before!' _Minako chided herself, unable to forget those few sleepless nights laying next to what had then been her unrequited crush. Forcing the butterflies in her stomach to slow the rapid beating of their wings, she lifted the covers and slid between the sheets.

Rei quickly followed suit. A far cry from her accustomed futon atop a wooden floor, and smelling wonderfully of the jasmine scent she'd come to associate with Minako, the miko turned her body towards the warmth of her best friend and surrendered herself to the bed's comforts without even putting up a fight.

"Ne, Rei?" Minako asked quietly after a moment.

The singer rolled on her side, the miko's name dying on her tongue as she found the woman in question already fast asleep. Minako smiled gently and snaked one hand outside the covers to brush Rei's long bangs away from her forehead. Leaning over ever so slightly, she laid the smallest of kisses on Rei's forehead.

Then, she turned out the light, pulled the covers up to her chin, wrapped one arm lightly around Rei's waist, and immediately fell asleep.

O O O

_Backed up against the wall, her forehead resting against the slightly taller woman's shoulder, Minako's dark hair formed a curtain around her face. Her breath came in labored pants as her thighs clenched the familiar hand between her legs. _

"_Harder," Minako pleaded, her voice a hoarse whisper._

_The dark eyed woman smiled and eagerly complied, and when her best friend's head tipped back, lolling against the wall, her lips and teeth found the tender skin of Minako's neck._

"_Rei-" Minako's hot voice was a puff of breath in her lover's ear as she crested the wave of her climax, her body tensing, depending on the other woman's strength for stability as the long haired woman finished giving Minako her greatest gift…_

Rei woke with a gasp, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. The strange ceiling, the foreign surroundings, and the pressure that seemed to be holding her body down to an all too soft surface spiraled around in her confused head.

She caught herself right before she jumped out the bed and assaulted her would be attacker, for when she was met with Minako's sleeping face, the other woman's head buried against her shoulder and the reassuring warmth of her arm around her waist, Rei's anxiety vanished in a heart beat and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. However, the rush of adrenaline having passed, this left Rei all too aware of the arousal she'd felt after the disturbingly vivid dream she'd had.

'_Was it a dream?' _She asked herself,_ 'A vision of the past? Or was it …a premonition of the future?' _The miko blushed hotly at where her thoughts had taken her.

Rather unwillingly, Rei glanced at the clock that lay on the bedside table and cursed. She'd suspected she was already late, but she hadn't anticipated that she'd wasted half the morning asleep next to Minako. Although she knew that her absence at the shrine would raise questions, she couldn't help but admit that she'd rather spend the entire day in bed with the woman.

'_Not like that!'_ The blush returned to Rei's face full force as she tried to convince herself of her innocent intentions, _'Just… being with her. First.'_ She added the last part shyly.

The miko smiled at her best friend, and allowing herself a few more moments, she marveled at the beautiful innocence she saw in Minako's relaxed features. She couldn't help herself from brushing the singer's slightly curled bangs away from her face in order to lay a gentle kiss on her forehead before she stealthily slid out from underneath Minako's light embrace.

O O O

Minako had the decency to wait through the sounds of Rei fumbling around in the hall bathroom, assumingly changing back into her clothes from the night before, and then waiting for the sound of the front door to click shut before she cracked an eye open lazily.

Though she mourned the empty spot beside her, she knew it wouldn't be long before she'd see Rei again. In fact, seeing as how Usagi and the girls had already planned a party that very night to celebrate the success of Minako's encore finale concert, it would be only half a day before she and Rei were together again.

An easy smile spread across Minako's face as she sighed and stretched out across the space where her best friend had slept. _'Maybe I won't even wait _that_ long.' _She considered.

Pulling the miko's pillow close to her body, she indulged in the lavender tinged essence of her best friend. A half a heartbeat later, Minako had fallen back asleep, and in her dreams, Rei's lips were on her skin once more.

O O O

Author's Notes:

Finally, ne? . But… it's not over yet. There are another six chapters to Rei and Minako's story, and its not all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. So, was it realistic? Plausible? Worth the wait to get them together? Hit that little review button down there and let me know.

And of course, a special thanks to the most awesome reviewers in the world, and a few responses I have:

Chatterbox – I'm glad you liked the pacing, and I hope it was worth it after this chapter. And you'll soon find out more about what Sailor Mars wants to keep hidden from Rei.

Evrae – best review EVAR. Thanks, that really made my day, and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

Venus Reiko – Un. I very much think that for all Minako's outward confidence, most of it is just a mask she wears to hide a deeper hurt of some kind. And more on Rei's career choice later.

OOO

Preview, Chapter 9:

Three heads turned when the door to their secret meeting room opened to produce not just one of their two late friends, but both at the same time. Completely entranced with each other, Rei and Minako could have been in their own world; standing practically on top of each other, it was a wonder they didn't tumble down the steps in a tangle of limbs. Three blank expressions slipped into furrowed brows and open mouths as Aino Minako, clinging tightly to Hino Rei's elbow, slung a comeback to a previously unheard barb,

"Well if you weren't such a _hentai_, maybe we would have gotten here sooner."

Bristling, Rei snapped her head back to glare up at Minako. "Would you _stop_ taking that out of context? I told you, you got that all wrong!"

Usagi set her soda down with a clatter, Makoto stuck the end of her pen in her mouth in wonder, and the slightest of blushes warmed Ami's cheeks. The three women examined their other two friends as though they were complete strangers.

It would be the beginning of an interesting night.


	9. Chapter 9

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 9: Together  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

'_These late nights are killing me.'_ Rei groused even as the mid day winter sun kept her warm while she swept the courtyard. She'd been four hours behind in her duties, thanks to her late night and subsequent late morning with Minako.

It sounded scandalous though it really wasn't.

'_Not yet, anyway.'_ She considered.

Whatever she and Minako had kicked off the night before was nothing official or binding, and Minako was smarter than to try to put terms around what seemed like a relationship they were starting. Still, Rei couldn't help but admit that it was something she thought she wanted.

The moody miko blushed at her thoughts and poured her excited energy into sweeping the courtyard.

She wasn't aware of the slightest of grins that tugged at her lips, and if she knew that the smile she'd worn all day had been the talk of the shrine, she'd surely have died of embarrassment.

But that was when Rei sensed the object of her thoughts before she even saw her. A shiver ran down the miko's spine, the hair on her arms stood on end, and that familiar strong aura that was so distinctly _Minako_ tingled at the edge of her senses.

And there she was; heralded by the click-clack of high-heeled boots, Minako strutted across the courtyard, heading towards her. Wearing an outfit that called attention to itself, in only the way an incognito outfit could, it left Rei to wonder how the singer didn't attract _more_ attention to herself, considering the ridiculously large sunglasses, stupidly huge hat, frustratingly concealing heavy jacket, and yet a teasingly short skirt.

And just what was she doing here anyway? They were supposed to meet at Crown later that afternoon. And why was she heading from the direction of the shrine's gift shop instead of from the steps? What was that in her hand?

'_And _why_ is she totally ignoring me?' _Rei growled to herself as the idol strutted right past her.

'_The hardest part is ignoring her,' _Minako thought as she marched past the gawking miko,_ 'but this'll be worth it.' _

Having confessed her feelings, having poured her heart out the night before, and having gotten an even better reaction out of her best friend than she'd hoped for, Minako had decided to forego the subtle approach. After five long years of pining for Rei, she felt she was entitled to allow herself to lightly tease the somewhat skittish miko. But… at least she planned to do so thoughtfully.

Feeling Rei's inquisitive eyes burning a hole in her back, the singer knelt before the stone chozuya basin in the middle of the courtyard. Dipping the bamboo ladle into the water, Minako poured a small amount of the cold water into her free palm and then studiously washed both hands with the purifying liquid. Next, in an effort to call the attention of the shrine's Kami to her intentions, she clapped her hands twice, folded her hands closed at chest height, and then closed her eyes before dipping her head low.

The intensity of Rei's stare dimmed, replaced with quiet wonder as the miko watched the singer's formal request for a prayer to be answered. It seemed almost silly, to see this Catholic girl perform a Shinto ritual, but it really touched Rei that, perhaps as a result of their conversation the night before, her best friend seemed to be making an effort to honor her roots.

And that was when she realized, with no small amount of surprise, what the object Minako carried was.

The singer approached the shrine's ema stand; a wooden rack filled with rows of hanging wooden votives, similar plaques all emblazoned with a rearing horse on one side, and a handwritten wish on the other. Tucking an errant lock of caramel highlighted hair behind an ear, Minako held her ema by its string and considered its placement on the board with the utmost care. Finally, she nodded, hung her votive, bowed once more, and with an air of finality, stepped back.

Slowly, the singer turned and finally allowed herself to look at Rei. She smiled broadly, as though she'd never ignored her in the first place, as though she'd just arrived. "I know I'm a little early, but thought I'd pick you up. You know, we could head to Crown together?"

The miko frowned and glanced at a delicate watch that clung to her wrist. She hadn't realized how late it'd gotten, and she was already running behind. She'd have to forego the shower she'd planned. "I'll have to change at least."

Minako's smile slipped into a suggestive smirk, and with an exaggerated sway of her hips, she closed the distance between herself and Rei, "Oh? I could help you-"

"Eh!?" Rei choked, her mind swimming between memories of what their past personas had shared, and certain dreams she'd been having…

The singer smacked her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. "I was _going_ to say I could help you choose an outfit. I don't know where _your_ mind is," she leaned forward and pinched Rei's cheek, "_hentai_."

The miko's face flushed bright red - the accusation was worse than her original assumption - and she sputtered for words, looking entirely offended but completely unable to form a comeback.

Minako winked and retreated a few steps. Over her shoulder, she called between laughs, "Meet me down at my car when you're ready. I'll be waiting for you. "

Rei fumed until Minako was out of sight, her bouncing form disappearing to the crest of the hill. She'd gotten her good, but Rei vowed to return the favor. She clutched her broom and began heading back towards the living quarters when she paused and looked back over her shoulder to the rows of ema behind her.

Slowly, Rei approached the board, examining the rows of wooden votives hanging amidst each other, each wish hoping to be answered by the shrine's resident Kami. The plaques clicked against each other as her fingers glanced across wishes for high scoring test grades, wishes for fertility, and even a wish for a new pet turtle, until she found the votive she was looking for.

Rei picked up the plaque Minako had hung. The ink was still wet in the cold air. _'What would she who already has everything wish for?'_

The small grin Rei had worn all day turned into a full fledged smile. Her voice was a whisper as she read Minako's negai-goto, or wish words;

"Happy future… together."

OOO

Three heads turned when the door to their secret meeting room opened to produce not just one of their two late friends, but both at the same time. Completely entranced with one other, Rei and Minako could have been in their own world; standing practically on top of each other, it was a wonder they didn't tumble down the steps in a tangle of limbs. Three blank expressions slipped into furrowed brows and open mouths as Aino Minako, clinging tightly to Hino Rei's elbow, slung a snarky comeback to a previously unheard barb,

"Well if you weren't such a _hentai_, maybe we would have gotten here sooner."

Bristling, Rei snapped her head back to glare up at Minako. "Would you _stop_ taking that out of context? I told you, you got that all wrong!"

Usagi set her soda down with a clatter, Makoto stuck the end of her pen in her mouth in wonder, and the slightest of blushes warmed Ami's cheeks. The three women examined their other two friends as though they were complete strangers.

It would be the beginning of an interesting night.

OOO

Beneath a loud and colorful homemade banner announcing, _'Congratulations on the success of your super awesome Encore Finale Concert!!!!!!'_ (Makoto and Ami had suggested a shorter phrase and fewer exclamation points, but Usagi had insisted), Minako distractedly toyed with a bouquet of yellow roses her friends had presented her with. Smiling lazily, she observed the animated discussion those same three women were engaged in, as they decided each others fates in the next round of karaoke.

And that left Rei, who, for all her attempts at disinterest in karaoke, _was_ looking rather intently at Minako.

'_Ha! Gotcha.'_ The singer thought to herself as she caught Rei's gaze, resulting in a quickly turned head and a rising blush at having been caught staring.

Minako's lazy smile slipped into a mischievous smirk as she examined the brooding miko, and slowly, she reached her foot under the table. When her toes slid along a muscular calf, she could only hope she'd gotten Rei and not Ami, but when her best friend's gaze shot up in panicked surprise, she knew she'd hit her target.

The singer feigned innocence, even as under the table, she slowly dragged her toes up past Rei's knee. Her eyes were locked on the miko, though her comment was directed to the others, "Rei wants to sing this round."

"I do not!" Rei barked, perhaps a little too vehemently.

Usagi pouted and rested her chin in her palms, "But Rei-chan, you have such a nice voice!"

Minako's wandering toes slid along Rei's slender thigh. It took all the miko had to reign herself in, though from what; be it scooting her chair back abruptly, breaking Minako's toes, or leaping across the table and kissing the hell out of the damnable woman, she wasn't sure. Her teeth ground together in frustration, "I'm _not_ singing."

Having tuned herself out to what seemed like another quarrel between the singer and the miko, Makoto looked up from the song selections animatedly. "Ooh, Ami, why don't you sing your rendition of Lonely Heart?"

Usagi latched onto this idea, and as she and Makoto pushed an only semi reluctant Ami onto the stage, Minako retracted her teasing foot and turned to Rei with a merciless smirk, "You're so easily flustered, _Reiko_."

Rei frowned and Minako winced, realizing her mistake too late. It was the same slip up that had caused Rei to retreat once already. She may have reconciled herself with her past life, but the miko felt strongly that her past persona had no influence on her present, and as such, didn't like to be compared against it.

No sooner did a hushed, "I'm sorry," escape Minako lips, than Rei was shaking her head. "It's okay," she said demurely, both of their quiet voices unheard by the others who were clapping as the musical score of a popular ballad poured through the room's speakers and Ami launched into song.

The miko could feel the singer's soft and questioning gaze, but as Rei feigned interest in Ami's performance, she chose to ignore it. If Minako could honor Rei's Shinto background, then Rei could respect the fact that their past lives were equally important to her best friend.

Finally, a small but thoughtful smile touched Rei's lips, and this time, it was her toes that nudged her best friend's calf. She leaned across the table, and drawing herself closer to Minako, she whispered, "I never had a pet name for you back then, did I?"

The singer shook her head, but then lit up with a sudden idea, "Make one up now!" She raised an eyebrow suggestively, "you could always go back to calling me your _Princess_. I rather enjoyed that one."

A furious blush colored Rei's face and she backpedaled, pushing herself back into her chair. "Leave it to you to twist a misunderstanding!"

The miko didn't realize how loud her voice had been in the suddenly quiet room as Ami's song had ended, and as Minako met the barb with one of her own, the two seemed entirely oblivious to their other three friends.

Setting the microphone down before stepping off the stage, Ami glanced at Makoto knowingly. The gesture didn't get past Usagi, and she rushed over to her two friends, eager for their gossip. She looked to Ami for answers, and the small woman simply nodded to their tall friend.

"It's just like at your wedding, when you threw the bouquet," Makoto hazarded quietly to the real Princess in the room, "you know, that spark of rivalry that hides too much…"

Usagi stilled for a moment. Trying to decipher Makoto's cryptic words, she stared at the arguing Rei and Minako blankly. She saw her two fiery and easily provoked friends and former senshi doing what they did best; being in a well tried and tested argument. Even still, just like the picture before her, Usagi remembered that at the height of their rivalry five years ago, even when they were at odds with each other, those two were always right next to each other.

Inseparable.

But the more she watched the minute body language they displayed and the distant, far off, longing looks the two women would cast in each others direction, the more she listened to what could have been double meanings laced into the barbed comments…

"Oh my god!" Usagi choked, and as the argument between Rei and Minako suddenly ground to a halt and the two women turned to see a very sheepish Ami and Makoto, each with a hand clasped over Usagi's mouth, the goofy woman who had once saved the world backpedaled.

"Nefermind." She managed between her friends' restraining hands.

OOO

The sun had long set. The moon was getting ready to call it an early night. And after the five friends had called it quits an hour before midnight, Rei and Minako found themselves wandering the downtown Juuban strip after the singer had insisted she walk the miko back to her shrine. Maybe they were taking the scenic route. Maybe they were just stalling. But neither woman seemed to be in a rush to part.

Despite the late hour on a Thursday night, there was plenty of commotion on the city streets; businessmen scrambled to the subways after a night of drinking with coworkers, college students gathered around coffee shops and convenience stores, but despite the slight competition for space on the sidewalk and the noise in the air, the two women found the atmosphere comfortable enough.

"Do you think… they suspect anything?" Rei asked haltingly, finding the sidewalk interesting. The 'they' she referred to remained unspoken, but her reference was obvious after their night at the Crown.

"What is there to suspect?" Minako asked coyly with a hopeful wag of her eyebrows.

"Hmm," the miko shrugged and fought back a grin, "let them wonder." She concluded.

Pleased with her best friend's response, the singer smiled that trademark smirk of hers that seemed to say all at once; screw off, but come hither. The expression was a contradiction, not at all unlike Minako herself, and it sparked a fire deep within Rei that she had never before allowed to ignite. It scared her. It excited her. It left her breathless.

It also left her distracted, for she hadn't realized that Minako had stopped walking. Rei frowned and took the few steps back to Minako's side, looking at her in askance. When the idol pointed to the left, the miko's questioning frown only deepened. The convenience store? The department store? The couple making out between the two?

Minako sighed. "The photo booth, dummy."

Only after punching her best friend's shoulder lightly for the insult did realization dawn on the raven haired woman. Minako pulled a well worn photo strip from her purse. Showing a gradual progression between the two women from hesitant, to comfortable, and finally, to friendly with each other, it was a strip to which Rei held its twin. The miko smiled knowingly, the singer nodded, and together, they dashed to the photo booth.

Amid a couple of stares, for the sight of two full grown women clambering into one small photo booth was odd enough, Rei and Minako pushed, shoved, elbowed, and giggled their way onto the narrow seat and slid the curtain shut.

Great minds think alike, and it was by unspoken agreement that their first picture mirror the last photo they had taken only about a year prior. Flashing the victory sign with one hand, Minako had her other arm around Rei's shoulder, her head tipped into Rei's. Rei did her part as her best friend's mirror image, and the smile on her face had never felt larger or more honest.

After the flash of the first photo nearly blinded her, the miko turned her head to look to the singer for guidance in their next pose. She was met with Minako's mischievous grin, and when she felt Minako's soft fingers dance along her jaw line, the raven haired woman's dark eyes widened in surprise.

The bright light threatened to blind Rei once again, but she wasn't so blind as to catch the subtle tilt of her best friend's head, and though she hadn't realized she was holding her breath, she was conscious of canting her own in response and leaning in, ever so slightly, so that she felt the singer's warm breath on her lips.

Rei didn't see the next bright flash, for when the last photo was shot, her eyes were shut, and her lips were pressed against Minako's in a gentle, yet firm kiss.

OOO

The neon glow of the city streets ebbed away slightly as they left the shopping district behind and walked through neighborhood streets. A light blush dusted Rei's cheeks where she trailed tiredly alongside Minako. Midnight had passed and though she'd had her fill of late nights, she heavily debated the consequences of yet another.

"Ne, were you really serious about being interested in the work I'm doing for my charity division?" The question was a valid one, but Minako used the inquiry as an opportunity to tug at Rei's jacket sleeve.

Rei shook herself from her thoughts. "Eh?"

"Thinking about our photo strip kiss, _hentai_?" Minako asked scandalously.

The miko rolled her eyes. "I don't assume you'll _ever_ let me live that down?"

Minako chuckled evilly, "No, I don't assume I will."

When her best friend smacked her lips, she found the excuse she was looking for to slide her hand down from the other woman's sleeve to twine her fingers with Rei's. "As I was saying, if you were really serious about the work I'm doing with my charity division, you should stop by my office tomorrow."

Rei pointed to herself with her free hand, a questioning expression on her face. "Yes, you," Minako replied testily, "I have a radio interview at ten, to talk to the media about my next album. Maybe we can meet after that? We could bounce some ideas off each other, you know, join forces on it. You've been doing community works for a long time. I could really use your input."

The miko visibly puffed up with importance. "I think I can make it," she said casually, even as her thumb caressed the top of Minako's hand.

Winding through a dimly lit park, they took a detour, bypassing the residential streets. To the right rose the hill that the Hikawa Shrine sat atop of. They were nearing their destination and both women slowed their pace subconsciously.

Somewhere between the swings and the monkey bars, Rei chuckled.

"What'cha thinking about?" Minako prodded gently.

The miko looked up to where the slightest sliver of a crescent moon broke through the cold and cloudy sky. "I can't believe our first kiss was in a photo booth."

"How about this," Minako suggested, "our second kiss was in the park by your shrine."

When Rei turned her head back towards her best friend, she found Minako already waiting for her, and for the second time that night, their lips met.

But with the moon as their witness, this kiss wasn't all innocence and gentle askance. Their hands still laced together, Rei raised her free hand to brush past Minako's cheekbone and threaded her fingers through the idol's caramel highlighted hair. And it was the miko who deepened their kiss, her hungry tongue playing along the singer's bottom lip, requesting access, which was readily granted.

When Minako's free hand grabbed at Rei's jacket, just above her breast, she pulled the slightly taller woman even closer to her, eagerly learning her best friend's mouth, her tongue struggling for dominance even as she felt the edge of Rei's thumb tease the corner of her mouth gently.

And when the two women were forced to part for air, they breathed each other's breaths, personal space all but forgotten between them.

But it was late, and if Minako didn't leave Rei hanging, her game of cat and mouse would have been for nothing. Winking boldly, the singer grinned and spun from Rei's grip, her fingers holding on to the miko's until the last possible second.

"See you in the morning!" She called over her shoulder as she aimed her shaky legs in the direction of her apartment building.

Stunned at Minako, stunned at herself, the miko's fingers touched her lips as she watched her best friend's retreating form. Throwing her fears, her worries, her expectations out the window, Rei smiled broadly, and turned and headed for the shrine.

OOO

Author's Notes:

A little fluffy filler, yes. But it was fun, ne? I mean come on, I've got to allow them a little happiness before I complicate their lives again! What did ya think?

Despite the fact that they'd come to terms with their feelings in the previous chapter, they still hadn't shared their first kiss yet. It seemed more fitting on Rei's part to hold off just a little longer. But now, hehe, she's grown much more comfortable with the idea. And the 'Call me Princess' bit is such an alluring thought to me. I mean, how long did Rei/Mars run around calling Minako/Venus Princess? Perhaps Minako grew accustomed to it? Anyway, I'm guilty of using it in my next fic that I'm working on, too. I'm bad.

Thanks everyone for your reviews! And here are a few responses:

Kyjar – in reference to your review of chapter 8, I agree. This story would have done better having left out a lot of Rei and Minako's thoughts. But, it is the way it's written, and though I look at it as a flaw, I've learned greatly having written it the way I did, because its going to make my next story that much better now that I understand a better balance. Thanks for the constructive criticism!  
Chatterbox – No, no confession of their feelings quite yet. Getting over their past lives was a huge leap for Rei and I felt that to rush both that and her feelings would have been too much for Rei to deal with at once. She's gotta take things slow, ne? Besides, you're right – she's still got a lot on her mind, between the vision that Sailor Mars hides from her, and her career choices.  
ShoujoGirl – Did this chapter give you the rest of your lives back? I can't promise that I won't take them away again in later chapters…  
Evrae – No, no rushing, you're so right, to include the first kiss, and even when it finally happened, it wasn't something I could make a big deal of, and it just kinda happened. I think if it had had more build up, it would have been too stressful for Rei! Oh, and I'm glad you liked the hotness of last chapter's dream/premonition/memory. -evil cackle-  
Sailor Doc – I aim to please. Hopefully you enjoyed the fluffines!

And now, what you've all been waiting for:

Preview(s), Chapter 10:

Anxious eyes scanned the crowd.

It was nothing out of the ordinary. A calculated sweep of those gathered told Rei there were about a hundred in attendance, to include the media. For the most part, the fans were well behaved, if overly excited; some touting large signs, others wearing tour t-shirts, and many carrying those damnable plush unicorn mascots, Nako-Nako.

So why was she so on edge?

'_Something… something's wrong here.'_ She couldn't smell it, she couldn't see it, but she could sense it. And while she didn't feel an overwhelming sense of danger, Rei knew her presence would be needed.

OOO

And here is a second preview, because you guys are so awesome and that was short:

She looked at her watch and frowned, "It's almost midnight. What is it with you and staying up so late?"

Minako let the moment slip away. Leaning back in her swiveling chair, she pointed to the other woman accusatorily. "Afraid you'll turn into a pumpkin?"

"Keh. I'm not tired," Rei was quick to defend herself as her pen jotted a few more notes, "I'm just getting started."

"Well if that's the case, I have some more documentation we can look at back at my apartment…" Minako offered brightly, a not so innocent smirk gracing her delicate features.

Rei's pen stopped in mid stroke. She raised one, lone eyebrow. "A likely story."

"Hey, _you're_ the one who jumped me under the stairs earlier." Minako said with a shrug.

Rei's brows met in a challenge. "You're _so_ going home alone."


	10. Chapter 10

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 10: Freudian Slip  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Something had drawn the miko to their meeting place an hour early.

Situated in the building's public sound booth; a room on the first floor that boasted large, glass windows so that her fans and the media could see and hear her from the street outside, Minako was still in the midst of her radio interview.

Anxious eyes scanned the crowd.

It was nothing out of the ordinary. A calculated sweep of those gathered told Rei there were about a hundred in attendance, to include the media. For the most part, the fans were well behaved, if overly excited; some touting large signs, others wearing tour t-shirts, and many carrying those damnable plush unicorn mascots, Nako-Nako.

So why was she so on edge?

'_Something… something's wrong here.'_ She couldn't smell it, she couldn't see it, but she could sense it. And while she didn't feel an overwhelming sense of danger, Rei knew her presence would be needed.

The miko threaded her way through the fans, always keeping her dark eyes trained on the singer. She smacked her lips when a large, smelly otaku of a man stepped in front of her, clutching a handful of glossy photos of the idol. He made her hackles rise in and of himself, but he wasn't the reason for her uneasiness, and so she reluctantly moved on.

Rei slowed a moment, and allowing the crowd to absorb her, she joined them, just one more gawking fan as she admired Minako's exuberant hand gestures and wide smile. She'd have lied if she'd claimed to have heard what the singer was talking about, for she was a little too preoccupied with the black leather mini skirt and tight white top she wore.

But she must have stared too long, for, as if feeling her stare out of all the others, when Minako turned to her fans, she looked right in Rei's direction.

Rei tore her eyes from the singer's body, ducked behind a rather tall woman, and moved on. She'd come early based on the niggling sense of wrongness that had tickled her senses, and with a small smirk, she reasoned she could oogle Minako later. Until then, she'd make damn sure that whatever had triggered her extra sensory radar wasn't something that would involve her girlfriend.

'_Best friend!'_ She corrected herself hurriedly, even as her suspicious gaze caught sight of a small group of fans heading around the back of the building.

With a disapproving growl, Rei pushed her Freudian slip to the back of her mind and gave chase.

OOO

The door to the sound booth shut behind the singer with a click, and with a sigh, she leaned back against it tiredly. The exhausted expression on her face slipped into the slightest of smiles as she checked her watch, and one hopeful thought was enough to lift her spirits, _'Rei will be here soon.'_

She pushed her petite frame away from the door and headed down the corridor towards her private office when several overly animated voices put her senses on alarm,

"Minako-chan!"

It was a terrible thing when her own name could make her inwardly cringe, but the sudden intrusion of perhaps two dozen unauthorized fans was not only unexpected, but was also frankly unwanted at the moment. They charged in her direction and the group of people became a solid mass of arms, markers, magazines and signature boards being thrust towards her expectantly.

A girlish squeak rose above the rest, and though it sounded like just another fan's, Minako felt some amount of relief that her manager, who had exited the sound booth into the midst of the screaming teens, was trying to help her. Standing awkwardly before them as a chipping dam that could halt the flow of her fans only for so long, Saitou Sugao held his ground.

Though her privacy had been infringed on, Minako still felt guilty about giving her fans the slip. Nevertheless, with a wink and a plastic smile, she flashed them the victory sign, twirled elegantly, and headed back towards her office, trying her best to keep the sense of urgency out of her step as she hurriedly twisted and turned down several corridors.

But when that white wooden door boasting her name written largely on a golden plaque loomed in her vision at the end of the hallway, the singer's spirits fell. _'Some hiding place that'll be.'_ She realized belatedly.

And that was when a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and the gravity of its owner's motion pulled her back into the darkness of the underside of a mostly enclosed stairwell.

Between the adrenaline she'd felt at being stalked by the intruders, and the sudden capture of her body, the singer panicked. But as if her captor had anticipated the tensing of her body, a warm hand clasped itself over her lips and the arm around her waist pulled her frame closer to the soft body behind her, even as their two forms sunk to the floor at the back of the stairwell.

"Shhh." The calm, quiet voice in her ear was the only thing that broke through her frazzled senses, and immediately, Minako's body relaxed into the backwards embrace of her best friend.

And not a moment too soon, for it was at that moment that the gaggle of fans came stampeding down the corridor. Shouting recklessly, bouncing off the walls and each other, clutching glossy prints and stuffed mascots, they neared the stairwell where the two women hid.

Minako found herself holding her breath, though she wasn't entirely sure whether it was because of her pursuers' nearness or the protective embrace she found herself in; Rei's arm wrapped tightly around her waist, one hand still loosely held over her mouth, the miko's long, dark hair tickling the singer's face, and the warm breath puffing lightly in her ear. Minako shut her caramel eyes, tipped her head into Rei's, and although she lacked the miko's psychic abilities, she allowed herself to believe that the emotions she sensed from her best friend were as strong as those she emanated herself.

And as quickly as the uninvited fans had crashed into their lives, they were ushered out of it; even as they passed by their hiding place, a trio of large security guards intercepted the intruders at a junction in the corridor, rounded them up, and escorted them out.

In the sudden quiet after the storm, neither woman moved. The miko was unwilling to let the singer go. Sitting on the floor in between Rei's legs, Minako sighed as the miko's hand finally left her lips. In the dimly lit space beneath the stairwell, she could feel the miko's tension mounting.

"I sensed…" Rei's quiet voice hesitated and Minako could feel her shake her head. The empathic woman obviously didn't want to delve into how she had known she'd be needed, and frankly, the singer couldn't care less. All that mattered was that Rei was there.

"I saw them sneak in, so I-" Rei tried again, but Minako was quick to hush her.

Turning her torso and her head backwards, just enough to catch Rei's chocolate eyes in the dim light, Minako whispered, "Thanks for saving me."

Their eyes searched one another for the briefest of moments, and given Rei's torn expression, Minako found herself wondering what the unpredictable miko would do.

Not trusting herself to say the right words, to say anything at all, afraid to take the initiative, but finding that she couldn't stop herself anyway, Rei tightened her grip around Minako's waist, and shutting her eyes, she shyly found the singer's lips.

And that was all Minako needed. Rei's eagerness and initiative was fuel on the ever burning fire she felt for her best friend, and their kiss that started innocently enough didn't remain innocent for long. It was her hungry tongue that lapped at the corner of the miko's mouth, her small teeth that nibbled at Rei's lower lip, and before long, the raven haired woman had become as bold and passionate as she was.

Rei's breath was hot in Minako's ear as her lips wandered; dancing along the singer's jaw line, only to trail slow, lingering kisses along the soft skin of Minako's neck. When the singer's breath caught in her throat and she tipped her head back, granting Rei unrestricted access to her sensitive skin, her action only spurred the other woman on.

Rei found Minako's response to her touch only served to ignite her passion more. Every caught breath, every soft moan, every inch of skin Minako granted her access to, only left her wanting more. With her eyes shut, her other senses were intensified, and when Minako's fingers reached backwards towards her shoulders, trailing lightly along the collar of her shirt before clawing her nails gently against the nape of her neck, Rei caught herself sucking the skin along Minako's collarbone a little harder than she'd intended.

But the slight mark she'd left didn't seem to bother the singer at all, in fact, it seemed to have quite the opposite effect. With a content smirk, Minako's fingers stopped kneading Rei's neck and she slowly trailed her nails behind the other woman's ear. She traced along the miko's jaw line as her thumb caressed the corner of her mouth before she roughly claimed Rei's lips once again.

At the complete mercy of Minako's lips, Rei remembered that she had hands, and though she was distracted as her best friend's tongue slipped past her defenses, she loosened her grip around Minako's waist. Allowing her hands to wander, Rei learned the contours of the other woman's flat stomach, and when she'd decided that she could no longer tolerate the slightly scratchy material of the thin sweater that separated her skin from Minako's, her fingers slipped underneath that scant piece of material and-

"Cold!" Minako half gasped, half giggled into Rei's mouth.

But her voice had served as a beacon.

"Minako-chan?"

Just then, the dim light that reached the underside of the staircase was blocked, but the familiar voice that had heralded a petite, yet manly figure, indistinguishable in the low light, was obvious enough.

"Shacho!" Minako squeaked.

Too much shuffling and rearranging was heard as the two women broke away from each other and tried to stand, and while Minako had leapt forward and pulled her sweater a little higher on her collarbone, Rei hadn't been so lucky.

A hollow '_bong'_ shook the metal frame of the stairs above them and was followed by a swallowed curse as Rei knelt back down, cradling her forehead.

"Rei!" Minako's squeak was redirected back to her best friend as she knelt down next to her to try to get a better look.

"What are you two doing under here?" Saitou bowed his head to fit his diminutive frame under the stairs, but couldn't make out much in the dim light other than his client wearing a guilty expression, and her best friend, who was glaring daggers at him. And though the latter wasn't too far from normal for the moody miko, he was put on edge anyway.

Trying to gauge how much, if anything, her manager had seen, Minako stumbled, "well… the fans… stampeding… we tried to get away…"

"We were hiding from the fans that broke in." Rei barked, the aggravation in her voice not going unnoticed. The unexpected interruption of Minako's manager had been more alarming than hitting her head had been and she waved Minako away, even as she kept one hand firmly on the small of the singer's back and guided them out from underneath the stairwell.

In the awkward space that hung between the three individuals, Rei finally snorted, "don't we have work to do?"

"Work?" Minako asked. Finally, she remembered that the reason for their meeting _hadn't_ been to make out under the stairs. "Work! Yes," an electric grin lit Minako's face and with her hands on Rei's shoulders, she turned her friend around and marched behind her, "we'll be looking at some of the charity program documentation together this afternoon, so please, no disruptions."

Rei and Minako marched past the suspicious man, the former with her persistent scowl and lack of eye contact while the latter called over her shoulder with an authoritative nod, "later, shacho!"

OOO

There'd been a moment after the two women had entered Minako's office, after the door had shut behind them, after they'd both let out long held sighs that devolved into a fit of giggles, that they'd stood there in absolute silence, lost in each other's gaze. And in that moment, standing a hair's breadth away from each other, they had to make that tough decision that all new couples face over and over during the infancy of a developing relationship; _do we make out or do we get to work and act serious? _

Luckily, or unluckily, which ever it was would never really be discussed, a strong work ethic was something that both Hino Rei and Aino Minako shared.

Finally, with no small amount of effort, the two women set themselves up on either side of the singer's desk and had gotten to work.

OOO

Several boxes of half eaten take out Chinese food lay at the corners of the desk. Papers, folders, and binders were sprawled in scattered, precarious piles that covered most of the room's flat surfaces. A white pen poked from underneath Rei's raven hair where it was perched behind her ear, and the end of another was lightly pressed between her lips.

Always studious and quick to learn, and considering her own background in and love for public works, Rei had learned the ins and outs of Minako's charity rather quickly. She had offered ideas simple in their origin but grand in their impact. The miko's thoughts had bounced off the singer's, and together, they had come up with new strategies for fund raising, public involvement, patient care, and several other exciting projects that could get off the ground given the staff to work on it.

Rei had been quick to point out that the fledgling charity didn't even have a name, and although Minako had been donating considerable amounts of money to the research of brain cancer, and the welfare of patients affected by the disease, the miko knew her cause would be furthered if she went public with a full scale foundation.

"Now all we need is for someone to run this thing." Minako sighed. The charity division had always been a side project, managed by herself in her spare time, and otherwise handled only by her accountants who directed the funds.

"Shouldn't be too hard to find some corporate snob with a background in public works. It wouldn't be a hard job, it just needs to be done by someone who cares." Rei said casually.

The click-clack of Minako's typing suddenly paused, and slowly, she looked across her laptop at her best friend, who was completely unaware of her stare. But when the fluorescent lights in the hallway outside of the singer's office flashed and then dimmed to their lower nighttime setting with a high pitched electric buzz, Rei finally looked up from her paperwork, blinking groggily.

She looked at her watch and frowned, "It's almost midnight. What is it with you and staying up so late?"

Minako let the moment slip away. Leaning back in her swiveling chair, she pointed to the other woman accusatorily. "Afraid you'll turn into a pumpkin?"

"Keh. I'm not tired," Rei was quick to defend herself as her pen jotted a few more notes, "I'm just getting started."

"Well if that's the case, I have some more documentation we can look at back at my apartment…" Minako offered brightly, a not so innocent smirk gracing her delicate features.

Rei's pen stopped in mid stroke. She raised one, lone eyebrow. "A likely story."

"Hey, _you're_ the one who jumped me under the stairs earlier." Minako said with a shrug.

Rei's brows met in a challenge. "You're _so_ going home alone."

OOO

The singer pushed the only mockingly unwilling miko into her apartment and flipped the hall lights on. Shoes tumbled off their feet tiredly, scattered haphazardly in the foyer. Minako's oversized black purse slid down her arm and was tossed to the hallway floor. She examined her friend as Rei threw her coat over a chair in the living room and began to rub the base of her neck. Granted, one in the morning was a difficult time to be awake, but the stiffness in the miko's posture seemed to be indicative of more than just exhaustion.

Rei's first thought was to pull away from the sudden touch. Her second thought was that she hadn't even sensed Minako's approach from behind. But then, she stopped thinking completely and surrendered to Minako's touch as slender fingers kneaded the stiff muscles at the base of her neck. Her head lolled forward, her shoulders relaxed, and she allowed that warmth of the aura that was so distinctly Minako to envelop her – the warmth that had been strong enough to quell the fear of Sailor Mars.

The slightest crease in Rei's brow marred her lax expression. The Sailor Mars of her vision had been silent in the few days she'd found herself growing closer to Minako, and this had been after she had made some progress in uncovering more of the memory that the warrior of old had guarded. But the little glimpse into her past that she'd been granted hadn't been enough to quench her curiosity.

Rei's brow fell flat once more and she filed this thought away. For the time being, she was with Minako, and that was the only place she wanted to be.

"Ah!" Rei's dark eyes shot open as Minako's fingers dug into a knot at the base of her neck.

"Geeze, you really _are_ tense." The singer chided as she worked the knot despite the miko's fussing.

Rei smirked but then titled her head thoughtfully. "No, it's just… I guess I'm more tired than I thought I was. The charity division is one thing, I enjoyed working on that."

"But?" Minako prodded, knowing her friend had more to say but was not one to elaborate on her own.

"I guess I don't understand how you deal with the atmosphere you work in. I mean, the fans alone put me on edge. I know you must be used to it by now, but still…"

The smile she'd worn all day in Rei's presence slipped and the singer sighed. For the briefest of moments, her busy fingers slowed their quest to relieve the tension in the miko's neck. "Well, today _was_ a bit out of the ordinary, but I still can't say I'm entirely used to it." And then the smile was back and her fingers went back to work. "But hey, it _was_ a good day, I mean, we really kicked some ass brainstorming ideas for the charity."

"Un." Rei's response was half sigh, half approval. They really had worked well together. It had been a far cry from her days when she'd been stuffed into that deplorable Nako-Nako costume, a frightened girl seeking to protect a dying friend.

The singer sucked in an excited breath, "I know. We should go in on this together! You know, quit our day jobs and just work on the charity together. What do you say, Rei?"

The miko snorted. "I think that's just stress getting to you after today's craziness with the fans."

The singer's lower lip turned down in a pout and she wished Rei had been facing her to catch it. Even the steadfast miko couldn't resist Minako's pout. "Fine then. Let's not make this about work. Let's just run away together. Leave everything behind. We could go anywhere."

Rei offered a quiet chuckle. "Now that's just exhaustion talking."

"It _would_ be nice though." Minako sighed dramatically.

Rei couldn't keep herself from at least imagining the possibility, and the slightest of blushes tinted her cheeks."It would."

A comfortable silence descended, each woman lost to their own thoughts as Minako found another knot and gently began to work it. When the only response granted to her from the miko was a low sigh and the slow but definite relaxing of the muscles under her fingers, the singer smiled her victory. Nubile thumbs worked the base of Rei's neck while wandering fingers danced towards her collarbone. Before long, the light brush of Minako's fingernails and a few well placed light kisses to Rei's neck had the miko moaning for an entirely different reason, and in an instant, the fire they had started under the stairs earlier that day had been rekindled.

But suddenly, the singer paused, her lips hovering on the edge of the miko's ear, her words a quiet whisper. "I'm not coming on too strong, am I?"

Rei caught her breath. For a moment, she couldn't decide whether or not Minako was teasing her for having been so forward under the stairwell, but hearing the sudden uncertainty in her best friend's voice was unsettling. But it was then that she remembered Minako's honest words, said in this very room of her apartment, only a few nights prior;

"_I'm not suggesting anything other than that you take your time and figure out what you want, Hino Rei."_

A chill ran down the miko's spine, and she knew Minako, with her chest pressed so tightly to her back could feel it, too. That Minako was being so cautious of her feelings and the state of their budding relationship meant the world to Rei.

But she still didn't know how to respond. How could she ease Minako's worries? How could she articulate the wealth of emotions she felt without tripping over her own tongue? How could she say words she knew Minako wanted to hear when she was still afraid of their meaning?

Slowly, Rei turned in Minako's light embrace, and in those caramel eyes, the miko could see the same overflowing desire she, herself felt. And though she knew she wanted the very same thing that Rei wanted, the other woman placed one, trembling finger over the singer's lips.

She wanted to save it. At least for a little while. But in the meantime, that didn't mean she didn't want to be as close as physically possible to Minako. Right?

"You know what would be the perfect ending to a day like today?" Rei hazarded.

Minako forced her racing heart to slow. "Hmm?"

"Just… falling asleep next to you. I didn't exactly get to… enjoy it the last time."

The miko's words were halting and awkward, and to this, the singer smiled, cherishing the rosy glow on the taller woman's cheeks. Though she knew that the fire couldn't and wouldn't be extinguished completely, she agreed that she couldn't think of a more perfect way to end the day.

Finally, Minako smiled warmly, and taking Rei's hand in her own, she led her to her bedroom.

OOO

Author's Notes:

Ha! Pulled the punch. Sorry. Oh, who am I kidding? No I'm not. I'm trying to keep poor Rei in character, after all. Okay, so, this chapter was a little more fluff, but you'll see the reason for it. And I'm sure most of you aren't going to complain about fluff anyway! .

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! And especially,

Sailor Doc – I aim for s-mokin'.  
ShoujoGirl – Good point! I guess they got a duplicate set made of the photo booth photos like they did the time before. Wish I'd thought of that.  
Evrae – I agree that sometimes fluff can be used as a crutch to lure readers. And it is so tempting to write, really. I strive for a decent balance. And yes, first kisses almost always are rather a let down. More complicated steps in the next chapter, by the way…

OOO

Preview, Chapter 11:

"You should know that best." The raven haired warrior sneered, "after all, it was _you_ who locked your memories away, leaving yourself to guard it."

"Me? Why would I do such a thing?"

"To protect your reincarnated self; the memories of your relationship with Venus and its disastrous end were hidden away," Mars' tone was righteous, but then her dark eyes narrowed, "that is, until you tampered with the lock."

The miko was unfazed by her counterpart's venom. "And I've regained them all except for this one. I must know why."

"Would you really pry open something so tightly locked, Princess of Mars?"

For the first time, Rei faltered. "I… I need this memory to be complete. I have to know how this one memory relates to my current self."

"But was it not you who claimed that the past was irrelevant?"

---

_She's going to leave me.'_ Minako mused as she watched the eerily still form of the miko where she concentrated before the sacred flame. _'She going to remember what I put her through back then and its relation to the future, and she's going to leave me.'_


	11. Chapter 11

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 11: Complete  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Their icy glares were as cold as the angry winds that tore down the craggy rock walls of the dark side of the moon. Still, Sailor Mars stood protectively in front of the mist enshrouded form of the wounded Venus. She would not allow her counterpart access to the memory that she guarded.

The Martian warrior's gloved hands tightened into fists. "Why have you returned? You need not access this memory in order to find the answers you so seek."

Rei frowned at the woman's vague riddles and circuitous conversation. After spending the majority of her morning in pursuit of this well hidden memory, she was determined that Mars would hold her back no longer. "Because I can remember every memory before this one. I have to know how this one ends. Why do you stop me?"

"You should know that best," the raven haired woman sneered, "after all, it was _you_ who locked your memories away, leaving yourself to guard it."

"Me? Why would I do such a thing?

"To protect your reincarnated self; the memories of your relationship with Venus and its disastrous end were hidden away," Mars' tone was righteous, but then her dark eyes narrowed, "that is, until you tampered with the lock."

The miko was unfazed by her counterpart's venom. "And I've regained them all except for this one. I must know why."

"Would you really pry open something so tightly locked, Princess of Mars?"

For the first time, Rei faltered. "I… I need this memory to be complete. I have to know how this one memory relates to my current self."

"But was it not you who claimed that the past was irrelevant?"

At the revelation of her contradiction, Rei stood with her mouth ajar. Although her mirror image was calling her a hypocrite, Mars seemed to take some amount of pity on her, and with a slight smirk, she baited Rei, "Only you hold the key to unlock the pain that I have shielded you from all this time."

"Stop talking in riddles!" Rei's outburst was more than she'd expected of herself, and it took her last ounce of patience to rein her anger in. Through ground teeth, she asked, "What is this key?"

The standoffish warrior advanced slowly, closing the distance between their nearly identical images. "Do you really need me to tell you what you hold most dear to your heart, Mars Reiko-san?" Her last words were a whisper as her pained eyes implored Rei's own.

"What I hold most dear…" Rei's words trailed off distractedly as her mind instantly homed in on one thing, one person.

In her mind's eye, she saw Minako, just the night before, the two of them curled up and facing each other on the singer's bed. Arms wrapped around each other, they traded gentle kisses and light touches until they fell asleep in each other's embrace…

But that wonderful image dissolved all too quickly, and suddenly, she was standing under a black, starless sky beneath the angled roof of a stadium. She was numb, unseeing, unfeeling. She could feel her friends at her back, their question was obvious; _where was their leader?_

And then, her voice was raw and not her own, and when the flames of Mars ignited her transformation, she briefly wondered if the flames of her fury would eat her alive. She wasn't so lucky. Instead, she attacked with a ferocity she hadn't been capable of harnessing ever before, and when their foes had been eliminated, she had felt herself shaking like a leaf as she fell to her knees, crying out _her_ name,

"_Mi…na…ko!"_

Rei's eyes widened and to her surprise, Sailor Mars turned a shoulder, granting her the slightest view of the crumpled form of the broken Sailor Venus. Face down on the bloodied ground, her golden hair caked with dust and blood, porcelain skin bruised and bloodied, those wide blue eyes frozen in fear…

_Minako… died first…_

But before Rei could completely grasp the meaning of her thought, her world spun wildly. The craggy rock walls and the darkness of the sky blended into a swirl, and when she could open her eyes again, she was in another time and place that seemed to _precede_ the memory that Sailor Mars guarded.

_After escaping the planet's gravitational field, the blue orb of the Earth continued to recede. The roar of the afterburners cut off and the pulse engines took over. The stars drifted by lazily, but a wired tension filled the air in the small cabin of the transport shuttle. _

"_Are you sure you're alright?" _

_To the untrained ear, the terse voice may have sounded more angry than worried, but Minako knew better. For her lover's sake, Sailor Venus - disguised as Princess Serenity - shook off the grogginess in her head and granted Mars a half smirk. _

"_Un. I'm just tired from the debating. Even though my senshi strength aides my disguise, posing as Serenity is exhausting, I'll have you know. I mean, I yes, it was too risky to send her to Earth, but do you know how hard it is to act as persistently optimistic as Serenity?"_

_Mars crossed her arms and snorted. "Well you manage to pull off her 'dumb as a rock' moments just fine."_

_The Martian's cold demeanor slipped into a slight smile as Venus punched her lightly in the arm. Even though they shared a brief giggle, the long haired warrior could not relax. The three days of intense deliberations hosted on Earth regarding the impending threat of a faceless adversary named Metallia and the appearance of rogue bands of youma that had been threatening the Moon Kingdom had proven not only fruitless as to the how's, why's, and even who's of their adversary, but had been severely taxing on her leader, disguised as the Princess of the Moon Kingdom. And though Mars had stood by her side as her aide through its entirety, she could do nothing but watch worriedly as Venus seemed to fall victim to a debilitating exhaustion. _

_But mostly, it was the feeling of wrongness that seemed to trail after them the further they got from that blue planet that bothered Mars the most._

_A golden glow suddenly filled the cabin with an ethereal light, and Mars realized that Venus was letting her disguise slip. She was caught speechless as the image of Serenity gently faded into the beauty of Minako, her eyes slightly shut, the soft features of her face finally relaxed, but when the golden glow subsided, Mars' unease spiked._

"_Minako!" She shouted, quickly kneeling before her leader's seat where she was doubled over in pain and clutching her head. _

OOO

'_She's going to leave me.'_ Minako mused as she watched the eerily still form of the miko where she concentrated before the sacred flame. _'She going to remember what I put her through back then and its relation to the future, and she's going to leave me.'_

With high hopes of stealing her best friend for the day, the singer had arrived unannounced some time earlier. But when she'd walked in on Rei deep in meditation and obviously chasing the one memory of her past that Minako had hoped she'd never recover, the singer had been filled with fear.

Sitting on her knees at the back of the fire room, Minako anxiously worried her bottom lip, her hands fidgeting in her lap as she kept watch for the slightest reason to interrupt the miko's vision. Finally, her fear mounted until she could no longer contain it, and when Rei opened her mouth in a silent scream, the singer had launched herself across the room.

"Rei! Rei!" On the verge of tears, Minako shook the miko's stiff form, ever conscious of their proximity to the dancing fire.

After several fluttering blinks, Rei's dark eyes finally opened. And although she was quite pleased to find herself in Minako's embrace, she was also quite irked to have her vision interrupted by the singer for a second time in as many days.

Dark eyes narrowed as Minako's emotions slammed into Rei. The miko didn't need to be psychic to understand how the singer felt.

"You really don't want me to remember this, do you?"

Rei's words were neither angry or annoyed, but more a contemplative analysis as she compared Minako's hesitance to Sailor Mars' outright refusal._ 'What are they so afraid of?'_

"I… I…" Minako's lower lip quivered ever so slightly.

"Do you really trust me so little?" Upset that Minako would think so little of her, Rei's words carried a harsher edge than the miko had expected.

It was an edge that so obviously cut her best friend, but it was too late to take it back.

The singer's teeth clacked shut, her jaw set firmly, and her lips formed a thin, white line. Her caramel eyes dropped to the floor wordlessly. Like a vine falling victim to the winter frost, her hold around Rei loosened before it withered altogether. Slowly, she stood, her hands clenched to her side.

Minako paused for the briefest moment – on the edge of that split second decision between fight or flight…

She chose the latter.

OOO

Not bothering with her hat or shades that served as her disguise, too distraught to even remember to pick up the umbrella she'd brought, Minako had run out into the late winter rain like a petulant teen.

She'd bumbled down the shrine steps, nearly taking several disastrous tumbles, but she managed to keep her feet until she hit the sidewalk. The cars that zoomed by on the wet pavement were deafening to her ringing ears as she ran along the walkway, but still, she ran blindly. Finally, with wide eyes, her vision distorted by the rain and her tears, she ran out of breath in the middle of a soaked and deserted park.

When her adrenaline had finally left her limp, Minako's teeth chattered and her arms hugged her slim and shaking frame. She was freezing. She was wet. But mostly, she was scared. Scared of what Rei would think when she fully understood how their past had ended… and its correlation to the present.

'_Hypocrite!'_ She scolded herself. And it was true. Five years ago, it had been she who had been so concerned about their past. It had been she who had wanted nothing other than for Mars to regain her memories of their time together…

But where Minako had been so attached to the past in hopes that it would reunite she and Rei, now she was worried that it might tear them apart, for Rei wouldn't like what she'd seen in Venus Minako anymore than she liked what she'd seen from Aino Minako five years ago.

'_I should just leave. Now. Before I hurt her even more. So I don't have to see the disappointment in her eyes. I'll go back to London. Paris. New York…'_

But then, that small part of Minako, the small flame of rebellion against her martyrdom that Rei had breathed life into five years earlier, spoke up.

'_And let her go after we've gotten so close when I could be next to her side, fighting to keep her instead?'_

And as Minako the martyr and the Minako of free will fought for dominance, the drenched and frightened woman continued to shake in the rain.

OOO

Although she knew she'd hurt her, Minako's interruption hadn't derailed Rei, but had only served to spur her forward. And although it had pained the miko to see the tears in her best friend's caramel eyes as she ran from her, Rei had quickly found herself standing before Sailor Mars once more, her jaw set and determined to finish this once and for all.

'At least _I_ never made her cry like that." Mars scowled, the concealing mists churning behind her form. "Perhaps you should give up now, Princess."

Rei's hackles rose at the barb her mirror image threw at her, but she forced her pride to take the blow. Ignoring the comment, she focused on the last memory she was trying to piece together.

"We didn't know it then, but Metallia had invaded Venus' mind before we left Earth."

Dark eyes narrowed and the Martian senshi nodded. "Very intuitive, Princess of Mars."

"She was trying to protect our Princess by posing as her, but it was that very disguise that lured that… that monster. And she suffered with that evil presence in her mind until… until…"

Sailor Mars crossed her arms with a rightful smirk. "Always the martyr, wouldn't you say?"

Rei glared at the warrior, vindicated and yet hurt at the same time. She couldn't deny that Minako's selfless ways often made her seem the martyr. It was the one thing that had bothered her the most about the Minako of her own time. But it would be too easy to take Mars' bait, and the miko decided not to play to her childish whims. Arguing the point wouldn't help her in uncovering the events that linked this hidden memory to her memory of the end of the Silver Millennium. An event she knew all too clearly did not include the role of Venus…

"I've had enough." Rei growled. "Step aside."

As though she'd been able to sense Rei's determination, Sailor Mars lifted an eyebrow.

"I said step aside!" Rei's voice shook the craggy canyon walls, and finally, Sailor Mars took a hesitant step backwards. Indecision flashed through the warrior's stormy eyes until slowly, the mists that enshrouded the background receded, and then, the Martian senshi disappeared altogether.

A surge of red-orange light and a rush of power through her system told Rei she was Sailor Mars once more, and finally, the form that had been hidden behind her came into view again.

A raspy whimper escaped Mars' lips.

Face down on the bloodied ground, Venus' golden hair was caked with dust and blood. Her porcelain skin was bruised and bloodied. Those wide caramel eyes were open and unseeing…

Mars' body, frozen with fear and anxiety, finally snapped. Bonelessly, she fell to her knees. With shaky limbs, she managed to crawl across the blood soaked rock to her leader. In her heart, she knew what she'd find, but she couldn't bring herself to admit it.

She was too late.

Her warm hands wrapped around the cold skin of Venus' arms and she flipped her commander onto her back and pulled her into her chest. Mars' breath hitched in her throat as a shaky hand traced around Venus' unseeing eyes and the blackened, bruised skin of her cheek.

Like a mantra, the Martian warrior called the name of her past lover over and over, her faltering voice breaking between a scream and a cry. "Minako! Minako! Minako!"

She sensed them before she felt them at her back; strong arms pulling her away, supporting voices calling her name. The similarities to Minako's end in her current life were blinding as her friends; Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Jupiter crowded her, as shocked and appalled at the sight of their dead leader, but also wholly concerned for Mars' well being.

She threw off Serenity once, in a blind need to return to Venus' side. Mars' arms tightened around Venus' torso, her head dropped to her lovers' chest. It was only Jupiter's gentle, but insistent strength that managed to pull her away from their leader's cold body.

With her comrades surrounding her, it was only the Rei inside the Sailor Mars that was reliving this terrible memory who barely noticed that even as her own voice screamed Minako's name one last time, Sailor Moon, who had staggered off to the side, fell to her knees and clutched her head.

OOO

The door to the fire room slid open, nearly bouncing off its hinges as the rain soaked singer bolted into the room just in time to catch the miko who had pitched forward out of exhaustion. Minako was across the room before Rei could hit the ground, gathering the other woman in her arms and pulling her towards her shaking frame.

Slowly, the miko's eyes fluttered open, and when her dark orbs recognized the only person she had wanted to see, a slight, pained smile tugged at her hesitant lips.

"Twice." Rei's voice was hoarse as though she'd been screaming for far too long and Minako found herself nervously threading her fingers through her best friend's bangs.

"Twice what?" She gently prodded, though she was afraid of the answer.

The miko's dark eyes squinted, as though she were still trying to comprehend the situation. "You left me… back then, too."

Minako frowned a moment until she realized that Rei had meant that she had died back then, but it was that intimate wording the miko used that brought tears to the singer's eyes. Minako was speechless, she was afraid, but she was also touched. Still, ashamed, Minako turned her head sharply away. Her brow creased and her lower lip trembled, and it didn't stop even when Rei's steadying hand cupped her chin and made her look at her once more.

"Back then, I had sensed something… but I didn't _know_. I didn't know it was Metallia."

The haunted look in Rei's eyes told Minako that Reiko, and even Rei herself, had felt guilt for Venus Minako's death, that perhaps given her psychic powers, she should have been able to stop the inevitable. Slowly, her hand traveled along Rei's own where it gently cupped her face, and leaning into that hand, the singer found strength.

"It was my fault, Rei," Minako's confession was a pained whisper, "none of us knew it was Metallia. And even once I understood something was irreversibly wrong, I still brushed off your concern. I wouldn't let you worry about me because somehow, I knew it was too late. Even though I wanted to believe that I could have managed it, I could have defeated the darkness inside me. But I failed."

"Minako…" Rei's voice trailed off as the singer's tears coursed over her hand on her cheek, so hot over her chilled skin.

"And through Serenity," Minako continued, "Metallia wiped out all life in a blink of an eye. It was my fault, and in an essence, I was the only one to really witness it."

Rei frowned, "but you were dead."

Minako's eyes darted to the floor. "My soul… lingered."

The singer could feel the miko's dark eyes on her, could feel the intensity of emotion she exuded, and she found the courage to look at her once more, even as her tears ran anew. "I couldn't help it. I wasn't ready to leave… you. I had to make sure I knew you were okay. But all I could do was watch as the product of my mistake killed not only you, but everyone else that I loved. Perhaps it was what drove me to be such a harsh leader this time around. I wanted to make sure I didn't make the same mistake a second time."

The miko frowned, her dark eyes hardened, and suddenly, Rei understood everything. From Minako's heightened sense of martyrdom to the reason behind nearly every single one of her leader's actions that had infuriated her five years ago.

And then, Rei accepted it.

"Pull yourself together." She demanded of her best friend harshly.

When Minako's tears ground to a halt with a sniffle and a confused expression, Rei continued. "You did what you thought was best as our leader. Don't you _dare_ regret your actions now. It's that very attitude that saved our asses time again, in this life and the last. It's what we _all_ expected of you," the miko paused to smirk at Minako, "even if it _is_ irritating sometimes."

Minako's caramel eyes could only stare at Rei with wonder. That she could forgive such a fatal flaw in her character when she'd expected the miko to thoroughly shun her… it was too much for her to hope for. A small, tentative smile cracked her frown, and when Rei met her with the most honest of understanding smiles, a full fledged grin devolved into a chuckling laugh as Minako pulled her best friend closer to her, burying her head in Rei's collarbone.

The two women comforted each other; half laughing, half crying, and in the process, they washed away the invisible wounds left from battles that dated back more than a millennium, until finally, they ran out of tears and chuckles.

"Ne," Rei finally asked tentatively, her voice almost hoarse from entirely too much use, "do you think that Metallia's influence on your previous life contributed to your illness five years ago?"

The miko managed to absorb Minako's unconscious shiver. "I've suspected as much." The singer admitted.

"I'm sorry,"

"No," Minako said firmly, "_I'm_… sorry. I didn't want you to have to re-live that. Any of it."

The dark haired woman caressed Minako's cheek. "But I did." She said softly, "And you came back, didn't you? And I'm still here."

Rei knew Minako was apt to overreacting - as demonstrated by her avoiding a discussion about the memory Rei was trying to trace and subsequently running away - but at the same time, the miko knew how hard it must have been for the singer to return. Sailor Mars was right; Minako could play the martyr, but that's not to say that deep down inside, Minako wasn't just like her – a scared and fragile woman who didn't want to get hurt. Blank expressions examined each other until Minako finally nodded with a slight smile, which Rei returned.

"Everything's going to be okay, right?" Despite her excitement and happiness at what had just occurred, Minako was surprised to find a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Rei's smile faded slightly. "You tell me," she said critically as she examined Minako's unsure expression, "because something's still bothering you."

Minako cursed her transparency. How could she let her vulnerabilities be detected when they'd just made such progress? She didn't like the turn their conversation had taken; from candy-land happy endings that wrapped up their past life to the fact that she still felt that something was missing from their relationship in this one.

And she owed Rei an explanation. "Maybe it's just strange the way we're talking things out and telling each other our feelings. We've never done that. You're like me, you make your decisions internally and keep things inside until you can't take it anymore."

Rei had also sensed the dark turn of their conversation and tried not to be too confrontational, sensing she was wandering into touchy territory but not really understanding why. "Well, maybe I've already made my decisions." She said, and it was true, but now she was achingly aware that she hadn't even _talked_ about any of them to Minako. And maybe she should have, but was now the right time?

"Perhaps we know each other too well." She said offhandedly.

"Do we?" Minako asked, her frown an apparent disapproval of her best friend's last comment. "Then why don't I know what you're going to do next?"

Rei was at a loss, and in the disapproving eyes of Minako, she felt a churning mixture of warring emotions. With no amount of uncertainty, Rei knew just how deep her feelings for Minako ran; just how very much Minako was a part of her. And looking at the woman who embraced her, how could Rei feel anything but complete?

But what was _complete?_ Was it that four-letter word? A word used entirely too often that had lost its meaning? A word that the miko had feared that she didn't even have the capacity for feeling? That was what Minako wanted, wasn't it? Rei was sure of it. But was that what she felt?

She could use that word; right here, right now, and quell the fears she knew Minako harbored.

But would she be telling the truth?

For as much progress as they'd made together, there was still so much left unsaid, not just about their feelings for one another, but about their lives in general. When could one use that four letter word and be sure that they meant it?

Rei was scared. And she didn't want to admit it. And she knew she was waiting entirely too long to answer Minako. So she did the only thing she knew how. She closed her eyes, leaned forward, and concentrated on putting every last ounce of herself into one perfect kiss that she pressed to Minako's lips.

And it was enough.

The singer closed her eyes and surrendered to Rei's kiss. She submitted to her emotions. And in those emotions, Minako believed she found what she was looking for, and in return, the doubt she had felt was gently washed away.

But when they broke for air, the moment was ruined. Rei's gentle smile slipped and a frown turned at the corners of her mouth. "You're all wet!" She exclaimed.

Minako's brow creased. "You mean you only just noticed?

"Bleh!" The miko exclaimed as she realized she, herself was rather cold and damp thanks to the runaway singer.

Minako's laughter was music to Rei's ears as her best friend pulled her closer the harder she mockingly struggled.

OOO

Author's notes:

What's that you say? Not quite the happy ending you were looking for? That's because it's not over yet. I'd guess that I gave you enough here to see that Rei and Minako still have one or two major hurdles to jump over together.

So, I kinda have to apologize. I feel the build up for Venus' end in the Silver Millennium may have been a little overrated. She died by sacrificing herself to Metallia and by not telling anyone, in a way she caused Serenity to succumb to the darkness. It was bad, yes, but it was really just the fact that it was the mirror image of her future self's death that hurt Rei so bad. You know, the whole martyrdom thing when she had a perfectly willing and able Rei by her side each time to help her? Yeah, that.

Also, for those of you who were expecting more trouble than what I gave our two main characters, I have to say, I don't play the make up/break up game very well. I kind of wish I did, to make disagreements more dramatic, but I just feel like it wouldn't have worked real well here.

Personal shout-out time!

Neuro – It would be interesting to get into shacho's head, because I'm sure he saw more of what was going on under the stairs than the girls would have hoped. Hehe.  
Evrae – hmm, it kinda was a wrench in the fluff machine, ne? It'll pay off though, I promise. Nice lyrics, too. I can definitely see how they relate!  
Crumpet – I'd like to think that the way they dealt with this chapter didn't push them back, but inevitably made them stronger. Or at least, come the next couple of chapters, it does. Hope you'll feel the same too!  
Haruka's Knight – I'm glad you like the fluffiness balance. Did you guess right as to why the memory was guarded? Go fix those tires.  
MelsT – thanks for your reviews! Your review of chapter 6 totally made my weekend. I'm glad you've enjoyed the pacing.

OOO

Chapter 12 Preview:

The Hikawa Shrine had been everything to Rei after her mother had died and her father had abandoned her, and she had served its cause as a loyal miko up until the last four years. It had been the shrine's proprietor's greatest wish to see her serve as its Priestess, but he had still been happy for her to find that the Kyoto-Yama Shrine had recruited her first. She only hoped that she would have some time to breathe and meditate before she had to give her final answer to the Kyoto-Yama Shrine.

"Rei-sama?"

The miko stopped, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Somehow she knew, she wouldn't be so lucky. "Yes, Yuki-chan?"

"You have a phone call in the office."

The miko nodded. Reluctantly, she changed direction, stepped into the small office, and slid the screen door shut behind her. She picked up the phone and set it to her ear, hoping the cool plastic would ease her sweating temple.

"Hino Rei desu."

"Rei-san, we need your answer."

"My answer…"

OOO

Usagi folded her hands and leaned across the table, peaking the singer's interest immediately.

"Ne, Minako-chan? I know Rei-chan's not really telling anyone about it yet, but _you've_ got to have some information…"

a scandalous smile on her face, Minako raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, interested to find out how her subtle as a train wreck friend would ask the question she'd been inevitably waiting for,

"has Rei accepted the Priestess position yet?"

"The… what?"


	12. Chapter 12

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 12: It Takes a Mistake  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

The miko padded down the wooden halls of adoptive home.

The Hikawa Shrine had been everything to her after her mother had died and her father had abandoned her, and Rei had served its cause as a loyal miko for the past four years. It had been the shrine's proprietor's greatest wish to see her serve as its Priestess, but he had still been happy for her to find that the Kyoto-Yama Shrine had recruited her first.

The head Priest of the Hikawa was like a grandfather to her, and so the discussion she'd had with him earlier that day had not been easy. She only hoped that she would have some time to breathe and meditate before she had to give her final answer to the Kyoto-Yama Shrine.

"Rei-sama?"

The miko stopped, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Somehow, she knew she wouldn't be so lucky. "Yes, Yuki-chan?"

"You have a phone call in the office."

The miko nodded. Reluctantly, she changed direction, stepped into the small office, and slid the screen door shut behind her. She picked up the phone and set it to her ear, hoping the cool plastic would ease her sweating temple.

"Hino Rei desu."

"Rei-san," the head priest of Kyoto-Yama need not announce himself, "we need your answer."

"My answer…"

OOO

"You seem awfully happy lately." Usagi pointed a spoon full of parfait at Minako.

The singer smiled around the straw that dipped into her milkshake. "Do I?"

Not to be deterred, Usagi nodded sagely and tried another tactic. "You know, I invited Rei-chan to the movies last night. Can you believe she blew me off?"

"No. Did she really?" Minako asked scandalously. Truth was, she and Rei had spent the previous night necking thirty floors up in her penthouse apartment. The only reason she was sitting in Usagi's favorite restaurant eating desert with her Princess now was because Rei had prior business to attend to.

It had been five days since she and Rei had finally come to terms with the disastrous end of their past lives, five days since near confessions had been made and they'd settled for letting their actions do the speaking. Minako was all right with this; for the past five days had only served to bring she and Rei even closer, in more ways than one. But mum was still the word and she couldn't let her obviously inquisitive Princess know what she and Rei shared. Maybe one day. _'Hopefully one day.'_ But not yet.

The future Queen of the Silver Millennium pouted. Either her attempts at subtlety were falling flat or Minako just wasn't going to talk about the fact that both she and Rei had been terribly preoccupied lately. She wasn't quite sure which it was. Either way, she'd had a burning question for days and although she'd promised to keep the topic a secret, she assumed that if she were to talk to Minako about it, Rei wouldn't mind. After all, Rei and Minako were best friends, right?

Usagi folded her hands and leaned across the table, peaking the singer's interest immediately. "Ne, Minako-chan? I know Rei-chan's not really telling anyone about it yet, but you've got to have some information…" a coy smile on her face, Minako raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, interested to find out how her subtle as a train wreck friend would ask the question she'd been inevitably waiting for,

Usagi leaned in closer, "has Rei-chan accepted the Priestess position yet?"

"The… what?"

Usagi realized immediately that something was wrong. The frown Minako wore, the crease to her brow… the hurt that laced her voice… the pigtailed woman backpedaled. "I… um…"

"She was offered a Priestess position? Where? At the shrine in Kyoto?" Minako's words were slow in coming, her caramel gaze was distant and cloudy.

"Maybe she hasn't told you yet because she's going to surprise you!" Usagi exclaimed with a wide smile that slipped all too suddenly when her friend remained expressionless. Her stomach dropped when she realized that there was nothing she could to right the situation.

"Minako-chan?" She tried.

The singer stood abruptly. Her chair nearly tumbled backwards and was only saved by crashing to the floor by the idol's reflex to snag her jacket from it's back. "I have to go." She mumbled.

"Minako!" Usagi exclaimed, standing up.

But the singer was gone.

OOO

Wrapped in a thick blanket where she sat on her couch, when dawn rose, Minako was awake to greet the orange tinted sky as the sun peeked from beneath purple clouds.

Truth was, she'd never fallen asleep.

Her Teletia S was held loosely in her palm.

Rei hadn't called last night.

As a new day dawned on the city of Tokyo beneath her, Minako rose.

She was sure she was needed _some_ place.

OOO

"Good morning, shacho!"

Saitou Sugao did a double take as his lately oft-truant protégé whirled into the office with a wide smile on her face that seemed to dim even the room's fluorescent lights.

"Minako-chan?" He asked belatedly, even as the singer set an extra large cup of designer coffee in front of him.

"The one and only!" She exclaimed as she sat herself across the table from him and began to animatedly shift through his papers. "So, what song material have you brainstormed lately? Oh, hey, I like this here," she pulled a sheet at random closer to her and nodded excitedly, "I could definitely work with that."

"That's an inter-office memo." Sugao said flatly.

The singer's smile slipped slightly. "Of course it is. I'm just teasing you!" The giggle that she tried for crash landed on deaf ears.

Leaning forward, Sugao placed his hand gently on top of Minako's, "Minako-chan, where's Rei-chan?"

And when the singer's lower lip trembled and tears pooled in her caramel eyes, all he could do was reach across the table and embrace her sobbing form.

OOO

Her Teletia S came to life; lights flashed and a tinny tune beeped listlessly. Minako looked at the plastic device and frowned. It was Rei again. Just as she had the previous six times, she stared at the phone until the tune ceased and then returned to her task.

"_Do you trust me so little?" _

Rei's words from five days ago echoed in her ears mercilessly as Minako shoved another sweater into a carry on bag.

"Yes. I do." Her words were spat through ground teeth.

She'd spent the majority of the day crying to her surrogate brother, Sugao. And after she'd gotten it all out, after she'd cried her last tear and was left emotionally empty, Minako could settle on anger, for if anyone's trust had been broken, it had been _hers_.

How could Rei keep something so vitally important from her? The miko had been striving all her life to become a Priestess, and now that the position had been offered to her, why wouldn't she tell her best friend and possible…

'_don't go there.'_ Minako reminded herself –for now more than ever was it painfully clear that they _weren't_ in a defined relationship.

They were only fooling around.

And all this after their they had almost completely opened up with each other and it had seemed like they'd finally worked everything out; from settling their differences from their past life, to continuing… whatever it was they had now.

But then… that conversation had taken its own dark turn, too. There was that awkward moment when it had seemed that Minako had almost convinced Rei to voice her feelings, to tell her how she felt… and the miko had dodged at the last moment, depending on her actions rather than her words.

And it wasn't that Minako didn't like those actions, but given the current situation, the hesitation that Rei had displayed weighed heavily on her. The seed had been planted. There was something there, something that for all the woman's newly discovered openness, she wasn't ready to talk about.

And it was simply in Minako's nature to assume it was something bad.

'_How could she be serious about me if she won't open up about something so important as her future? Would she really go onto the next phase of her life and leave me behind?'_

The tears threatened to return and Minako steeled herself, and was disappointed that thanks to Rei's influence, the part of her that wanted to be a martyr was hard to find. Nevertheless, she forced an angry frown on her face and tapped into that part of her.

'_Then I'll set her free. She obviously doesn't need the hassle of a relationship if she has a shrine to run.'_

Once more, the Teletia S rang, and despite the anger the singer had forced into herself, this time, she couldn't stop her hand from darting out and picking it up.

"Rei!?" She exclaimed, her voice almost desperate.

"No, Minako-chan, it's me. Hey, do you want to-"

The tears threatened to spill once more. "…Usagi."

"Yeah, hey, Mako-chan, Ami-chan and I are heading over to Crown, do you want to-"

"Sorry, Usagi-chan, but I'm heading back to London for a little while."

"What? But Minako-"

The line went dead.

OOO

Her Teletia S hadn't even gotten through half a ring when she'd picked it up.

"Minako!?"

"No, Rei-chan, it's me."

"Usagi-chan?" Rei was silent a moment, it took some effort to change gears, but she jumped on the opportunity. "Listen, have you heard from-"

"Minako-chan's heading back to London!"

Rei faltered, her voice a whisper. "Wh… what?"

"Look, Rei-chan, I made a huge mistake and I want to apologize for it, but first you need to stop Minako-chan! I think she's upset because I told her about the priestess position you're going to accept!"

The miko's knees felt weak and she found herself collapsing onto her futon, and in that one, crystal clear moment, the entire world clicked into place for Hino Rei.

"Listen, Rei-chan, I'm _so_ sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, Usagi." Rei's voice was oddly calm. "It's my fault."

"Rei-chan?"

The line went dead.

OOO

Her heart pounded in her ears as her legs pumped the ground. Minako's apartment was several blocks from the Shrine, but given the late evening traffic, Rei figured the fastest way there was on foot, and even then, she could only hope that she wasn't too late, that Minako wouldn't slip through her fingers over a… misunderstanding, a mistake. The worst mistake she'd ever made.

True, maybe the singer was blowing things out of proportion, but somehow, Rei could understand where she was coming from. If only she'd opened up to Minako that night five days ago like she knew she should have. She should have told her more about what was going on in her life, and surely, Rei would like to think she would have if she hadn't been so preoccupied over being afraid of voicing her uncertain feelings that she was too afraid to put into words.

Rei's legs almost faltered underneath her. Sometimes it _takes_ a mistake to understand _how_ you feel.

It was only then that she understood just how much Minako had given her. Minako had given her all the time she needed to understand herself and her feelings, and meanwhile, all Rei had done was left Minako hanging, wondering, waiting.

'_How hard it must have been on her.'_

The miko skidded into the apartment lobby, dashed to the elevators, and ended up commandeering a lift all to herself. The few residents who happened to be in there gladly made way and stepped out for the woman who's energy rolled off her in nearly visable waves. And so, Rei rode the elevator directly to the top until finally, she found herself in front of the singer's door, her fists pounding on the wooden barrier.

"Minako!" Her best friend's name stuck in her throat, somewhere between a cough and a wheeze.

Several painstaking minutes passed to no avail, and only then did she realize she was too late. Slowly, she sank to her knees and with shaking hands, pounded on the door one last time.

And the door opened.

But when Rei looked up, expecting to see Minako, she was surprised to find someone else entirely.

Saitou Sugao stood before her, a small, understanding smile on his aging face.

"I was hoping you'd come." He said gently.

"Where is she?" The need in Rei's voice did not go unnoticed and as a response, Sugao handed her an envelope.

From her place on the floor, the miko looked up at Minako's manager, eyeing both him and the envelope wearily. Finally, she swallowed her pride and snatched the envelope before frantically tearing it open. In her shaking hands, she found a plane ticket direct from Narita to Heathrow, and an address.

Her brow creased, her expression mixed between surprise and thankfulness. Rei was speechless.

"What are you waiting for?" Sugao asked kindly before offering his hand to help Rei up. "That plane boards in two hours."

The miko smiled, grasped his hand, and rose to her feet.

OOO

Author's Notes:

This is the closest I've come to a cliffhanger. I've never been comfortable writing them, but I think this one worked out alright. Please review!

As always, thanks to everyone who's left comments so far!  
MelsT – you made my entire week. Thank you!  
Haruka's Knight – what do you think about Minako's reaction to Usagi's question? I was a little worried that she might be overreacting, but then, Minako tends to do that sort of thing. She really does take certain things to the extreme. And National Guard, ne? Thank you for your service!  
secretdreamer – I think in the last chapter, a lot of things were riding on Minako's shoulders to make her think Rei would leave her. It wasn't just that she'd died in their past lives, she'd died being a martyr. We all know Rei dislikes this aspect of her. She was also worried how Rei would react knowing that Metallia's power that she incurred in the past life had caused her illness in the present day. She was also just flat out overreacting!  
Neuro – it's not over yet. -evil cackle-

OOO

Preview, Chapter 13:

The insistent knocking made Minako edgy. Maybe it was her security guards, upset that the singer hadn't informed them of her whereabouts. Maybe it was her manager, coming to make sure she was all right. Maybe Artemis had mailed himself to London, upset that she had left without him. She opened the door. Maybe it was…

"Rei?" The singer was in a state of disbelief to see her best friend on her doorstep, and for a split second, she thought she was dreaming and was compelled to jump into the other woman's arms.

To bear witness to Minako's fragile state almost tore Rei to pieces, and when the door started to swing shut in her face, she was almost too slow to react. But when the heavy, wooden door slammed against her foot, crushing it against the doorframe, she did little more than wince, but she never faltered. Without a word, never losing eye contact with those watery caramel eyes that looked so hurt, yet so hopeful, she shouldered her way through the door.

"Damn it Minako, I've already lost you twice, and I'm _not_ willing to lose you a third time."


	13. Chapter 13

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 13: Point of No Return  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

"What the-"

The loud, persistent knocking that issued from her front door startled the singer. In the darkness of the apartment, with only the television to shed its flickering blue light on her surroundings, she stumbled over her unpacked luggage which she'd only just rolled in the door and abandoned earlier that afternoon.

The insistent knocks made Minako edgy. Maybe it was her security guards, upset that the singer hadn't informed them of her whereabouts. Maybe it was her manager, coming to make sure she was all right. Maybe Artemis had mailed himself to London, upset that she had left without him. She opened the door. Maybe it was…

"Rei?" The singer was in a state of disbelief to see her best friend on her doorstep, and for a split second, she thought she was dreaming and felt compelled to jump into the other woman's arms.

She caught herself. This was the woman who had driven her away from Tokyo. Minako's hands rose to her face and with the long sleeves of her sweater, she dabbed the corners of her reddened eyes in defense of the tears that threatened to spill once more. _'I can't let her see me like this… I can't handle this right now!' _

To bear witness to Minako's fragile state almost tore Rei to pieces, and when the door started to swing shut in her face, the miko was almost too slow to react.

Yet, when the heavy, wooden door slammed solidly against her foot, crushing it against the doorframe, Rei did little more than wince, but she never faltered. Without a word, never losing eye contact with those watery caramel eyes that looked so hurt, yet so hopeful, she shouldered her way through the door.

"Damn it Minako, I've already lost you twice. I'm _not_ willing to lose you a third time." Her voice was quiet and deathly serious.

The singer found herself backing away from the miko by the sheer determination she saw in those dark eyes, until she came to a gentle stop with her back to the foyer wall. She was speechless, for even as forceful and passionate as Rei's character had always been, the fire she saw in the other woman's eyes was unmatchable. There was no awkwardness to be found in that dark glare. Staring at each other in an endless silence, the front door floated closed and latched shut with a click of finality.

"I don't understand you, Minako." Rei's voice teetered with emotion but her strong and steady hands found the other woman's shoulders gently. "Every time you're close to getting what you want, you flake out. Just like five years ago, when you learned to live as yourself and not as Venus, and you ran away from us to have the surgery in secret even though you had _me_ there to help you through it… just like a millennia ago, when Venus sacrificed herself to the enemy in hopes of defeating it herself even though you had _me_ there to depend on."

The miko paused. She pondered the weight of her words, and then spat them out anyway. "You're a _coward_ Minako."

Something in the singer finally snapped and she nearly growled at the miko, "If you came half way across the world to chastise my actions in the past, when _you're_ the one who drove me away, then I want nothing to do with you! If you couldn't even have the common decency to tell your…your…"

The singer's momentum crash landed. The term 'best friend' seemed to belittle the depth of the relationship they'd shared, but what else was it between them?

"Girlfriend." The slightest twinge of embarrassment laced Rei's voice… it had been impulsive, but she'd meant it.

The singer was too shocked to believe the words that had come out of Rei's mouth, but when she noticed that the crimson blush that tinged the other woman's cheeks didn't diminish the determination in the miko's dark eyes, she knew Rei had meant it.

"I should have told you about the Priestess position." Rei's confession was blunt and nearly rushed; too many thoughts, too many emotions that had been bottled up threatened to overflow. "I should have been a lot more open about a lot of things. But I was dealing with too much at once. My future, Reiko's memories… _you!_ I was… afraid."

Minako had bared witness to Rei's sheer determination on several occasions, and she knew when the miko was putting one hundred and ten percent of herself out there. She could sense Rei's honesty, and could feel the other woman's need. The singer's voice was as soothing as the hand she gently placed on her best friend's - _'girlfriend's'_ - cheek. "Rei…"

But the miko's thoughts had already been lined up and she wouldn't let Minako's softness deter her progression of thoughts. "I rejected the Priestess position."

Minako frowned. "But… why?"

The miko snorted. Releasing the singer's arms, she raised her hands in an empty gesture. "Really! Am I the only one who thinks of the future? All of you were either too wrapped up in the past or the present to remember that we needed to plan for a future, too."

Minako surged forward, desperate to claim the space that seperated them. "I don't understand, Rei."

The miko's hands idly found the long sleeves of the singer's sweater, and when Minako's fingers shyly laced between her own, Rei's voice quieted as she explained. "It was a decision I knew I'd have to make a long time ago. You see, if I chose to become a priestess, I'd be negligent in my duty to the Princess, to the others."

The singer could do little else but gaze questiongly at the other woman and rub her thumb across the top of Rei's hand until the miko sighed and proceeded, "A priestess in the shinto faith can't be reincartnated, Minako. If something were to happen and I couldn't return to protect our Princess…" Her voice lowered, and once again that blush that Minako couldn't resist colored Rei's cheeks, "if I can't return to protect _you_, then I want no part of being a Priestess."

The singer melted at the miko's tender words. Closing her eyes, she found herself submitting to a gentle embrace from the other woman. Although she was elated to hear the words that had come closest to a confession of her feelings from the other woman, and although she was comforted to understand just how much thought Rei had put into their relationship, she also couldn't imagine what a difficult experience it must have been to be at odds between a duty that Rei had't even wanted in the first place, and the spirituality that drove her every day life. "Rei-"

The dark haired woman sushed the singer. "I knew this. And yet, I continued to be a miko, progressing to this point for myself in order to hone my powers… although they are borne of my senshi strength, they are also closely tied to my faith."

"I'm sorry." The singer's apology was muffled by Rei's shoulder. "I over reacted. I was just so certain you would have taken the position. I thought you would move on without me. This all comes as a bit of a shock."

The miko allowed a long suffering sigh to escape her lips, but hugged the slightly smaller woman closer to her never the less. "It's just so like you to have a predestined outlook in every life. Can't you stop playing the martyr just this once and get the other half's input before jumping to conclusions? Really, for such a determined leader, you sure give up on things quickly. I mean, we finally start getting closer and you pull away. Don't you think that our relationship would have played a factor in my decision?"

Minako looked up to Rei shyly, an apologetic smirk teasing the corner of her lips. "You know what they say about old habits…"

Rei snorted her agreement. "I guess we're both a victim of that one. Besides," she added dryly, "although it may serve to create more interest in _your_ line of work, I don't even want to imagine how word of our relationship, if… _when_ it's discovered, would damage either of my shrines. The idea of a lesbian Priestess isn't likely to go over well by the shinto elders."

Although she was excited to hear Rei verbalize their relationship so, meaning that she _did_ intend for others to know that they were together, Minako couldn't help but feel guilty that she was part of the reason that Rei had to put her dream of becoming a Priestess aside.

When the singer's smirk faded into a sad expression, Rei shook her head. "I didn't say that to make you feel bad. It's a cruel reality, but one I accept. And I've already made my decision." The miko turned her nose to the air, a mocking expression on her face, "I want to be with you, Minako."

"But you…"

"Would you forget about _me_, Minako?" Rei asked, looking down at the singer's troubled expression. "Just for once, what do _you_ want?"

'_What do I want?'_ The question sounded foreign, even in the confines of her own mind. After spending two lifetimes being more concerned for everyone other than herself, the blunt question; so characteristic of her best friend, shocked her enough to be equally blunt. The tears returned once more, but this time, they weren't so bitter.

"I want, _you_ Rei! I… I want _you_," and although her words brought a gentle smile to the other woman's face, her voice dropped to a whisper, "but I don't want you to regret-"

Perhaps it was to hide her crimson cheeks, perhaps it was to gain the courage, but Rei pulled Minako into her once more, burying her nose behind the singer's ear where, in a raspy whisper, she settled the score once and for all,

"This isn't about the priestess position anymore, Minako, this is about me loving you!"

And for one second; the only second she had ever allowed herself in any lifetime, Minako allowed herself to be wholly consumed with her own happiness to have heard that one four letter word that even a millenia ago, their past personas had rarely used.

"I… I love you too, Rei. So much."

The miko snorted into the other woman's ear. "Well duh."

The singer smacked her lips and when she pulled away enough to see Rei's face again, she offered her blushing girlfriend a wide smile, thankful that for all the awkwardness the miko could display, the two of them had weatherd such a deep baring of their souls so easily. But they'd both reached their limit, and after five years, the waiting, the wondering, all of it was over, and they both had exactly what they wanted.

And now it was time to play. The singer smiled mischeviously. "So what will you do now? You can't stay a miko forever or I'll _never_ get you into bed!"

This time it was the miko that smacked her lips. "Please. You buy that? Like there's a single virgin miko out there."

Minako's eyes widened and her laugh was music to Rei's ears. "So then all this time I was being nice and not pushing myself on you for no reason?"

"Not pushing yourself on me?" Rei asked incredulously. "Do you have any idea how hard it's been for me to restrain myself?"

It was no accident that Minako's half lidded eyes only enticed the other woman further; she could almost feel the fire in Rei's dark eyes ignite. "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about." She stated coyly.

And for a half a second, Rei and Minako stared into each other eyes, and with the recognition that the smoldering fires that reflected there would not be extinguished; they breathlessly leaned into each other. And when the culmination of a lifetime lived a millennia ago and five years spent pining after each other resulted in one, passionate kiss that threatened to consume them both, they surrendered to it.

Pressing Minako gently to the wall, Rei's fingers danced along the hem of the other woman's sweater, glided underneath, and traveled along the smooth skin of the other woman's belly even as Minako desperately began undoing the large buttons on the front of the miko's wool coat.

Shoes were kicked to the walls of the foyer. Rei's coat only made it a few feet, but Minako's sweater held on a little longer. Finally, as Rei pushed and Minako pulled, together, the two women stumbled down the hallway, into the bedroom, and finally, onto the bed where Rei gently pinned the half dressed, slightly smaller woman beneath her weight.

But when Rei's wandering hand was abruptly stopped by the gentle pressure of Minako's own around her wrist, the passion drained out of the miko's kiss as their lips separated and her confused eyes searched the singer's.

"This isn't too fast?" Minako asked quietly, unassumingly. "I told you that I don't want to push you."

The miko smirked and relaxed. "I wouldn't think that _you'd_ be one to complain once we finally reached the point of no return."

The singer smiled mischievously; point of no return indeed. "Oh, I'm not complaining," she reached up to capture Rei's lips once more, "not," she reached up to whisper hoarsely in Rei's ear, "one," she arched her back to nip at Rei's neck with her teeth, "bit."

And with that, she rolled her body on top of Rei's and claimed possession.

OOO

When the morning light that streamed freely through the gauzy curtains became too much to bear, Aino Minako woke up slowly, a lazy smile playing on her lips at the sight that greeted her.

Her form was draped over her lover's. Rei lay sleeping on her back, and although a thin sheet – the only article of bedding left on the bed at all – hid Minako's view from much below the miko's tantilizing colarbone, she could feel Reiko's arms wrapped loosely around her waist and could feel her own legs tangled with those of the slightly taller woman's.

And it was then that she knew that for all the hours they'd really learned each other last night, she still hadn't gotten her fill of the other woman. Slowly, as if afraid to break the spell, Minako's hand reached out to brush away a long bang from Rei's forehead…

But her hand went flying back in surprise when one of the miko's dark eyes suddenly shot open.

Rei didn't know if it was Minako's flapping hands or the high pitched squeak of shock that was cuter, but chuckling, she held the startled singer to her form.

"That wasn't very nice." Minako's attempt at pouting was reinforced by turning her face away to hide a mischevious smile and rolling away onto her side.

The miko smiled at the challenge and also rolled over, one arm snaking back under the sheet to slide around the singer's bare waist, and she spooned herself around the other woman possessively. With her other hand, she pushed Minako's long mane away from her neck to lay a kiss on the sensitive skin. "You know… I've never claimed to be a nice person."

Finding that her tactic had paid in spades, Minako wasn't about to mess with a good thing and continued her mock pouting. "You're right. You're a mean, mean person."

Rei paused in her attention to Minako's neck. "Am I?"

Minako found herself holding her breath, waiting to see what her lover would do next…

"Rei!" Minako's hands shot to her sides where the miko was mercilessly tickling the skin of her ribcage."I'll have you know," she threatened between laughs, "that I'm an expert at this game!"

Rei stopped short and leaned her mouth to the singer's ear. "I'm immune to this game. I'm not ticklish."

Minako looked back over her shoulder, catching Rei's dark eyes. "I know for a _fact_ that isn't true."

Their eyes narrowed at each other and the challenge between them ignited into flame. Rivalry; the old standby need for competition, their only excuse at one point in their lives to keep the lines of communication open between them, was now just a source of fun and games.

The singer flipped her body, turning towards the miko faster than the other woman had anticipated, and Minako showed Rei even less mercy than had been shown her. And as choked snorts and repressed laughs echoed around the room, the two lovers fought for dominance in a tickle war until the all pillows and the last remaining sheet had been thrown off the bed, and exhausted, they were both gasping for air.

From her vantage point where her head rested on Rei's stomach, Minako pointed at the miko's feet, which were actually pointed at the head of the bed, "Oh my god, what happened to your toe?"

Rei looked up and over her girlfriend's dark head of hair to look at her bruised appendage and remembered the event all too clearly. "You shut the door on it last night!" She exclaimed lightly.

The singer turned her head towards Rei and smiled apologetically, "I could kiss it and make it better."

Rei rolled her eyes. "Its quite alright. I deserved it anyway."

Quiet contemplation followed as both women allowed themselves to dwell on their conversation from the night before, but despite the more subdued topic of conversation, there was no awkwardness or trepidation of treading into what had once been unspoken territory.

"You know," Minako began, "Usagi-chan's going to be upset. She really wanted to throw a party for you over the Priestess position."

Rei snorted. "Yeah? Well, Usagi's going to have to deal with it."

"She's going to have to throw a party for _something_."

Idly twisting a lock of Rei's long, raven hair, Minako paused. The two women caught each other's eyes in a look of complete understanding. Slowly, one of Rei's eyebrows raised in a playful arc. "I think I can come up with _something_ she can celebrate."

A slow smile pulled at Minako's lips before she surrendered to a kiss that instantly rekindled the memories and emotions of their passionate night before.

'_Somehow, I think I'll never get tired of this side of her.' _

OOO

Author's Notes:

First of all, I'm really, really on the fence about this chapter. I've never been one for 'confessions of love'. Often times, in writing, they seem contrived and forced. If it hadn't been for Minako's absolute _need_ to hear those words in this chapter, Rei may have held off for who knows how long. But… I just felt like it fit here, to my own discomfort, so I hope it worked for you guys, too.

As to a priestess not being able to be reincarnated. I don't know the validity of this statement. When I was still in the planning stages of this story (god, a year ago!), I did a lot of research on the Shinto faith, trying to glean ideas from as many English sites as I could. I came across that statement once and couldn't find any other reference to it. I may be totally wrong on this, but I put myself out on a limb and tried it here.

So… yes, there is one more chapter to go, and then IWtBiS will be over. Please review!

As always, a special thanks to:  
Neuro: Yes, shacho (Saitou Sugao) is from the PGSM universe. He's an absolutely priceless character that you'll come to appreciate the more you watch the series.  
Sailor Doc: I know, I need to make abbreviated scenes longer. But then… where's that R/M bathroom scene:)Kyjar: I'm not a fan of cliffhangers either, honestly. But sometimes, they do enhance a story. And maybe I _should_ have done an omake of Artemis mailing himself to London!H.K.: Ah, speaking of Artemis, I know, I gave him the short stick in this fic. Honestly? I was really unsure of how to incorporate him without making him meddle too much, or to be thrown in only for the sake of just 'being there'. So, I just didn't write him in. Hey, there's no more mission anymore, and Minako's been doing just fine on her own. Perhaps he's been giving her some time on her own to grow, especially now that Rei's taking up so much of her time? Perhaps he doesn't want to be a kitty-voyeur. MelsT – I.Love.Your.Reviews. I think you and I tend to like the same lines best. Great minds, and all?  
Evrae – I missed you and your inner fangirl! I'm really glad you think the increase in pacing is right for the story.

OOO

And now… Preview of Chapter 14:

"Are you sure you want to go through with telling the others?" Minako's quiet voice mingled with the drone of the engines. "We could wait, you know."

As if she'd been forcefully pulled back from another world, Rei blinked. "Huh? Why?"

The singer titled her head. "Because you look like something's still bothering you."

The miko faltered; the singer had misread her hesitation; it had nothing to do with revealing their relationship to their friends. It had taken her years, but she'd learned to be comfortable with expressing her concerns to Minako – more so these past few weeks - but even still, getting started was never an easy task. "You were right," she began, "I can't stay a miko forever."

The singer laced her fingers between the other woman's. "You're worried about your future, Rei?"


	14. Chapter 14

I Want to Believe in Someone  
Chapter 14: Congratulations  
By: Trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

It had taken the new lovers nearly the entirety of the day to leave Minako's bedroom. Although they'd made the decision to return home that night - Minako's retreat to London hadn't exactly been planned, after all - inevitably, _something_ always came up to derail the progress of actually getting to the airport for the flight they'd booked.

Neither one of them were complaining, but the plane full of people they'd nearly held up might have.

The two women shouldered themselves into the cabin, squeezing past the airline attendants in their final check of the passengers. Thankfully, their seats were in the corner of the first class section, and with only one carry on bag – Rei hadn't flown out of Tokyo with a single belonging beyond her purse and passport – the two women were tucked away in their seats with little effort, if amid plenty of whispers and giggles shared between them.

The singer readjusted her wide brimmed hat over her eyes. It was common for her to fly in and out of Heathrow undetected. Her music was popular in Europe, if not as much so as it was in her hometown, but she always took the precaution of traveling incognito. It was just as they were clicking their seatbelts across their waists that the musical tune of Minako's Teletia S sang from her purse.

A passing stewardess gave the women a disapproving frown, but the plane hadn't taken off yet and so the singer took the call.

"Usagi-chan?" She answered knowingly. She'd only just listened to the seven or eight messages her Princess had left on her voice mail over the past day and a half on their way to their airport, but hadn't yet gotten the chance to call her back.

"Minako-chan, I've been so worried about you! I've left you so many messages!" "

"Ne, Usagi-"

"And Rei-chan too! I've been calling her for the past twenty-four hours! I'm starting to get worried!"

"Usagi-chan, it's okay, she's with me." Minako had been quick enough that time, and in the silence that ensued, she could imagine the gears as they turned inside her Princess' head.

"With you?" She asked. "In London?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Oh!" A slight pause ensued, and then she responded with a more knowing, "Oohhhh."

The miko in question sighed and rolled her eyes. Usagi had only been screaming and she'd heard each and every word. She snatched the phone from her girlfriend's hand testily. "Would you relax Usagi? Everything's just fine."

Her barking reassurance resulted in a relieved squeal from the woman on the other end of the line. "Everything?" Usagi asked, "then what about the Priestess position?"

"I declined it."

"What?"

"Look, I'll explain later."

"But my party…"

Rei couldn't help but smile. She caught Minako's caramel eyes knowingly. "I think we've got something else we can celebrate."

"What!? What is it?"

"I'm not going to tell you yet." The miko winked at the singer. "I'm going to tell everyone at once. So plan a party. Tomorrow night. Eight o' clock at the Crown."

"But Rei-" A million questions hung off Usagi's tongue, but neither woman would answer them.

Smiling evilly, Minako snatched her phone back from Rei. "Got a plane to catch. Bye, Usagi-chan!"

The click of the phone as it shut and the giggling of the women as they shared in Usagi's frustration were drowned by the roar of the plane's engines as the hunk of steel zoomed down the runway and took to the air effortlessly.

The two women fell into a comfortable silence, sitting shoulder to shoulder in their big leather seats, but a couple hours into their trip, somewhere above Germany, Minako couldn't help but notice that Rei was looking so thoughtfully out the window. She debated with herself for some time, but finally, with a gentle hand on Rei's own, she settled for bluntness.

"Are you sure you want to go through with telling the others?" Minako's quiet voice mingled with the drone of the engines. "We could wait, you know."

As if she'd been forcefully pulled back from another world, Rei blinked. "Huh? Why?"

The singer titled her head. "Because you look like something's still bothering you."

The miko faltered; the singer had misread her hesitation; it had nothing to do with revealing their relationship to their friends. It had taken her years, but she'd learned to be comfortable with expressing her concerns to Minako – more so these past few weeks - but even still, getting started was never an easy task. "You were right," she began, "I can't stay a miko forever."

Derailing her previous train of thought, Minako frowned in confusion for a moment until Rei's words registered, and suddenly, she was certain that the words she was hearing in her head were the same that Rei was hearing in hers, words she had said to her girlfriend from a day earlier…

"_So__ what will you do now? You can't stay a miko forever."_

The singer laced her fingers between the other woman's. "You're worried about your future, Rei?"

The miko looked down at their clasped hands in acknowledgement. "Everyone has their futures planned out but me. For someone who only ever focused on their future instead of their past, how ironic is that?" Her words bordered on bitter.

"Rei," Minako's voice was scolding and it served to pull the other woman's eyes back to hers, "if you think that your faith will be less a part of life just because you've chosen not to be a part of the clergy, you're totally wrong." The miko blinked in shock and the singer continued. "Shinto is part of who you are; that will never change, no matter what you decide to do! That spirituality of your faith will only guide you in whatever path you chose to take now."

Not for the first time, Rei was in awe of the leadership that her former commander could display so effortlessly. "But… what path do I _take_?" She looked away from Minako once more, disgusted with herself. "I've never felt like this before. I have no idea what to do with myself."

Minako had an answer. She leaned forward, but treaded carefully. She knew to come on too strong would be to push at Rei's pride – for always being so determined and steadfast, to feel like she'd had her options taken away from her had obviously been a blow to the miko, and the singer wanted Rei to understand that she wasn't offering her this suggestion out of pity.

"You know," she began gently, "you made a suggestion to me not long ago that I totally wrote off." Despite herself, the miko looked back to Minako in question. "We were at a coffee shop, and I was complaining to you about how my career was getting to me and how I wanted to concentrate more on my charity works." The singer snorted, and for a second, she steepled her hands together and found some interest in them before continuing. "And you had the _nerve_ to tell me to put my singing career on hold so I could focus on the charity if that's what I wanted to do."

Rei frowned, remembering the conversation. Minako looked to her and smiled. "It's one of the things I've always loved about you; that ability to get to the heart of the matter and the courage you have to just _do_ what you want to do." She trailed off for a moment, her fingers returning to and tightening around the other woman's hand. "I want to be more like that, Rei. I want to be more like you."

"Minako, I-"

"That night we spent at my office, going over the charity's paperwork, I watched the way you took control. I couldn't believe how well we worked together, the progress we made in those few short hours. And I couldn't help but wonder what kind of impact we'd make if we could work on the charity together. I knew then that you'd be perfect for the job… but remember that comment you made about finding 'some corporate snob' to run the program?"

"Minako…"

"Well, you may not be very _corporate_, but you _are_ a…" for the first time, a knowing smile tugged at Rei's lips, expecting the verbal barb that should have followed, and when it didn't come, she was floored, "very good candidate for the position." Minako finished smugly. "And if I can get you to work with me, then maybe I can find a way to ease back on my singing and work more on the charity like I want to."

The miko snorted, almost not trusting her voice. "I don't think Saitou-san will be happy to hear that."

The singer shrugged, and for once, Rei saw a hint of selfishness that Minako had desperately lacked. And it made her happy to see. "It was you who taught me to live for myself." Minako said, "And I need to make sure I keep pursuing that." The singer snorted. "Shacho. Could you even imagine working in the same office as him?"

Rei shrugged fondly. "He _was_ my ticket to London."

Minako smiled knowingly, making a mental note to give her surrogate older brother a big hug for that one. She almost hadn't believed it when Rei had told her the night before. Perhaps the three of them working together wouldn't be so terrible after all.

"So, I'm not letting you off the hook." Minako leaned forward, squeezing Rei's hand. "What do you say? Will you take the job?"

Rei hesitated; it wasn't that she didn't like the idea; quite the contrary, but her pride battled with her desires. "I don't have much to offer." Her voice was cold. "I have no formal job skills, no money to speak of, not even very much in the way of belongings. I'd… I'd feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

The singer nodded and smiled at the answer she'd been expecting. She leaned closer to quietly whisper in Rei's ear. "You can take advantage of me _any_ time."

"Minako," Rei warned testily, "I'm being serious."

"So am I!" The conviction in the singer's melodious voice would not be denied. "Well, except I was teasing about the whole taking advantage of me thing." She trailed off experimentally. "Not really." She added. "Yes I am." She amended further at Rei's glare. "Okay, okay, lighten up!" She exclaimed. "Honestly, Rei, you'd be a huge asset to the charity. How can you say you have no job skills when your role as a miko was to serve the public? I've seen you in action, I've seen the impact that just a couple hours of your advice did for me when we worked together a couple weeks ago! How could you _not_ be the best person for the job?"

Rei took a deep breath. Could all the loose ends in her life really be tied into so perfect a knot? Could she really be this lucky? _'We've already found each _other_, but could this really be the path to both of us finding what we really want to _do_ with our lives?'_ One look at Minako's excitedly hopeful caramel eyes cinched the deal.

"I… accept."

"Yes!" Minako's free hand turned into a fist clutched excitedly below her chin in victory. But then she paused in thoughtful consideration. "You know, Usagi-chan's going to be jealous that you're working for me. She _is_ my number one fan, after all." She noticed Rei's weary glance and smiled mischievously. "Maybe she could be your assistant!"

"I quit." Rei crossed her arms over her chest in mock indignation.

Minako slugged her girlfriend lightly in the arm, and laughing, the former miko threw that arm around the slightly smaller woman's shoulders and pulled her towards her.

OOO

"I _think_ it's pretty obvious at this point." Makoto commented dryly.

"But we don't know for sure." Usagi reinforced.

"It's… a pretty safe bet, Usagi-chan." Ami nodded sagely.

Five minutes to eight, the three women sat around the small table of their secret base, staring listlessly at all five feet of a long, blank banner that seemed to only mock the former Princess of the Moon Kingdom.

"Then what would I write?" Usagi wailed. "'Congratulations on your lesbian relationship!'?"

"I don't think that sounds very… sensitive." Ami guessed.

"'We support your togetherness!'?"

"Lame." Makoto balked.

"Oh! How about, 'We want to be your maids of honor!'?"

"No!" The former senshi of ice and lightening shouted simultaneously.

"Fine, fine." Usagi relented. Shrugging, she put her marker to the banner, and busily scribbled something more appropriate. Ami and Makoto nodded their acceptance, and after helping their Princess hang it above the table, the three took their seats once more.

Finally, the tell tale sound of a hand clasping a door handle shushed the three women at the table, and silence ensued as all eyes turned to the door that opened painfully slowly to reveal Rei and Minako.

There was a moment's hesitation; the two new lovers standing hand in hand on the platform of the raised staircase, looking down at the three women who had been their closest friends; their only real family. Once, they had stood by each others' sides through the end of the world. But would they support _this_?

Sucking in a deep breath, Rei stiffened and stood tall. Minako squeezed her hand, providing her the support, the extra push she needed to break the room's silence…

The screech of chair legs scratching against the hard floor accompanied Usagi as she leapt from her seat, and it was her boisterous voice that shattered the silence first. "Congratulations!"

Rei snorted. "They… knew." She whispered.

An equally stunned Minako applied gentle pressure to the small of Rei's back. "Apparently, we were the only ones that didn't."

The cheers of the three women filled the room, and as Rei and Minako descended the staircase and were met with hugs from their friends, their eyes finally found a hastily scribbled banner that hung from the ceiling.

The sign read simply, 'Congratulations, Rei and Minako, we love you!'

OOO

Author's Notes:

Eight months of writing, three months of posting, and it's over! It's finally over! But at the same time, I'm so sad! It was a joy to write this, and it was an even greater joy to share it with all of you. Thanks to everyone who left a review. It's what kept my updates so frequent. I really appreciate all your comments. Thank you for your continued support!

So… what do you all think, now that it's over?

Don't think you've seen the last of me, though. I've got an entire AU Silver Millennium in the works, titled 'A Single Voice'. The emphasis centers on Rei and Minako, with some Ami and Makoto and all the other standard pairings. I've written fourteen out of about eighteen or twenty chapters and should start posting that in a few weeks. You'll see a preview of the first chapter after all my thank you's. Be there!

Spyder: PGSM _is_ quite the diversion from the anime. I'd say it owes its roots to the manga, from which it's not _terribly_ far removed minus the Power Rangers youma. The plot itself bears a lot of resemblances, and just takes its own crazy spin on it. Thank you very much for your praises!  
Lord of Nightmares: Happy belated birthday!  
H.K.: Rei's poor foot. Lol. Did you like Usagi's and the girls' reaction?  
Sailor Doc: Tickle fights _are_ fun. Again, it's one of those things I was weary of writing about, one of those whole overused cliché bits… but the situation just asked for it, even if it wasn't nearly as good as yours!  
MelsT: As always, thank you for your beautiful review!  
Miyuky: Thank you for your praise! I hope my next story lives up to that same standard. And yes, I do believe Rei says something along the lines of not being interested in boys in both the anime, the manga, and PGSM. Really, it's just part of her character.

Again, a huge thanks to _everyone_!

OOO

Preview, A Single Voice:

A single voice shattered the stillness of the desert.

"Martian Warrior!" The language of the red planet felt as coarse and grainy to the foreigner's tongue as the invasive red sand, yet she projected her voice into the oppressive heat. "Why have you strayed so far from the field of battle?"

The figure she had called to in the distance paused, but only momentarily; it was a second's hesitation before the small, red pony resumed its course, urged on by a white clad rider.

"Venus-sama," an aide broke rank and pulled near to his leader, cautious to remain a half pace behind his commander's horse, "I believe she is not just a warrior, but a Priestess of this planet."

The woman's blue eyes hardened. It was the aide's only clue to discern his leader's thoughts, for the customary Martian attire she wore not only shielded her face from the harsh desert elements, but also hid her normally expressive features from view.

He had no time to react to his commander's whims. In a flourish, her white steed had reared onto its back legs and galloped forward in one fluid motion, devouring the distance that separated himself and his rider from their target with thundering hooves and flared nostrils.

The Venusian drew her agile stallion to a sliding halt in front of the small, sturdy pony. The shaggy creature's wild, barely tamed eyes widened as he found his passage blocked. They were eyes that mirrored his master's.

'_Violet eyes?'_ Trapped in the Martian's gaze, the Venusian's anger slipped and she found it hard to tap back into, though she managed well enough.

"You are a Priestess are you not? I'm here to help you and your people." The woman raised a hand towards her head and was unsurprised to find the Martian's own dart for the hilt of her sword, passing over her long range bow and arrow also strapped to her person. The foreign commander didn't allow this defensive reaction to alarm her. Instead, she pulled the concealing Martian headpiece from her face. Her long golden hair falling freely to her waist, her upturned nose thrust into the air, it was her confident smile that shone the brightest.

"Why don't we join forces?" She asked.

The Priestess hesitated, though whether it be from the foreigner's gesture of friendship so brazenly displayed by the removal of her headpiece, or the incredible beauty that was revealed through that trusting act, she wasn't sure. Long moments passed slowly, the only movements were the occasional swish of a horse's tail and the unrelenting heat waves that rippled across the sands.

"No." She finally replied, and with a slight nudge of her left leg, her pony turned to the right and began to plod off once more.

There was a rustle of shifting sands and the Martian was unsurprised to find the Venusian blocking her path once more.

"Do you know what you're turning down?" The woman barked, anger sparkling in those blue eyes. How dare this little barbarian ignore her!

The Priestess found herself sighing. This was not the first diplomat to waltz onto her planet with a romantic notion of helping a fractured nation.

"We can help you in your fight against the youma!"

But in _this_ woman, the Martian sensed a determination and fierceness that went far beyond her delicate beauty, and she felt the smallest amount of interest stir within her.

"What do you know of the youma?" The Priestess' voice was raw and quiet, as though it hadn't seen much use.

"I know that they've been ravaging your planet for the past several years and that they're gaining in numbers, slowly wiping out your peoples. "

"And how does that matter to you?"

"It doesn't."

The Martian glared – the comment had only served to amplify her mistrust but the Venusian seemed to show little regret for her harsh words and her cerulean eyes only hardened.

"That is, it _didn't_." The foreigner clarified with a deep growl. "Not until those monsters starting showing up on _my_ planet."

This shred of honesty and display of sheer determination seemed to have the desired effect. This woman had a people, a planet worth protecting, just like the Priestess herself. Finally, the Martian's hand loosened from the hilt of her weapon. Slowly, she returned the other woman's gesture and lifted her own headpiece, releasing wild, unbound raven hair that reached the tattered leather of her pony's saddle, and she was not so blind to notice the other woman openly staring at her own appearance as much as she had discreetly admired the other's.

"I want to know everything," the golden haired woman demanded, "when they first arrived, how quickly they multiplied, where they came from, what their powers are…" she paused, her tightened fists releasing slowly, "will you help me?"

The Martian frowned. This woman… talked too much. She was brash. Irrational…

Suddenly, the Priestess' pony shuddered underneath her and her hand darted to his neck in a calming manner, though the emotion she felt was far from it.

'_They're here.'_

A scream pierced the thick air, slicing through the dry heat, and both women turned in its direction - the Venusian's traveling party. The group of twenty some men and women were at arms; drawing swords against a dozen youma the size of horses; huge, lumbering brown monsters with red, beady eyes and too many teeth.


End file.
